Fake It Til You Make It
by AshTMI17
Summary: Clary is desperate. Desperate times (and obnoxious parents) call for desperate measures. Enter Jace Herondale. If they can pull this off, Clary will jump for joy. But what if fantasy becomes reality?
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing except the plot. I've been inspired by a huge upswing in "fake dating" stories with my other OTP, Emma Swan and Killian Jones (Once Upon a Time). I haven't seen any for Jace and Clary so I figured why not. Let me know if I should continue the story or not. Thanks!**

"Mom, I get it, okay. I promise I'll be there," I was practically yelling into my phone as my mom harassed me for the fourth time in two days about coming home for my brother's engagement party. My older brother Jon is finally marrying his long time girlfriend, Camille, and my parents may literally die from the excitement. They've been taking turns calling me to make sure I don't back out of the party for weeks now, since the date was announced. You'd think this was the actual wedding, not just an engagement party, from the way they were carrying on about it. Leave it to my brother to once again make me the target of my parents' incessant nagging – he knew that reminding them of the party would trigger this insanity.

"And don't forget to bring that boy you've been dating, Clarissa, we want to finally meet him." And there it is – the part that I was really dreading. Having to tell my mom that my latest relationship failed – again. See, unlike my brother, who has been dating the same girl since he was fourteen, I am a chronic relationship failure. Josh was a decent guy – smart, kind, funny – but we still went up in flames long before the six-month anniversary. I just don't think I'm a relationship type girl, much to the continuing horror of my family. My parents met at sixteen and have been married for thirty years. My brother is marrying a girl he's dated for twelve years.

And I can't even commit to a goldfish, let alone a man. I'm such a fucking disappointment. So, when this relationship ended, I conveniently failed to mention its demise to my family in hopes of finally getting them off my back about my love life. I was always purposefully vague about my relationships, so they didn't find it odd when I didn't mention anything. Then the invitation to the engagement party came, and I stupidly RSVPed with a plus one. I'm an idiot, I know.

"Mom, I don't know if he's going to be able to come…" I began, hoping to worm my way out of the jam I got myself into.

"Don't make me call Isabelle, Clarissa," she huffed into the phone, making me freeze. Izzy can't say no to my mom, she's like not physically capable. Call it a byproduct of practically being my mom's second daughter. "She and Alec are both coming, and bringing their boyfriends. They are not even related to your brother. It's bad enough that you won't be here for Thanksgiving, _again_. You and your boyfriend _will_ be here on December 1st, do you understand me, Clarissa?"

"Yes, Mom. I'll make sure we're there. I gotta go now, I just got to work." After saying goodbye to my mom, I entered _Secondhand Serenade_ , the used bookstore and coffee shop that Izzy and I own. We bought it right out of college and it's so fucking homey that I love it. Not to mention that it makes a boatload of profits and has been on the "Best of NYC" list multiple times.

"Hey Iz," I greeted by best friend as I entered our shared office, ripping my coat and scarf off.

"Hey bitch," she greeted me in her totally Izzy way. "Your mom called this morning…"

"Ugghhh, I know! I just got off the phone with her!" I sighed dramatically before plopping into my office chair. "You're really dragging precious Simon into the flames that are our families?" Izzy and Simon have been dating for about six months now and he has yet to meet her family, other than Alec. That's part of the benefit of living thousands of miles away from them. He's such a nerd and so _not_ Izzy's type that the tiny sliver of a romantic inside of me wants them to get married and have lots of babies and keep being so goddamn cute. Then the rest of me wants to throw up at what that part of me wants.

"Yep, and Alec's dragging Magnus along too. It's just a weekend, Clare. And it's Jon's engagement. We wouldn't miss it…" Of fucking course not – that would be too easy. Alec and Jon have been best friends since before they could talk, and Izzy and I have been inseparable since we were in the womb (literally – I have the photos to prove it). If they couldn't make it back to Florida for the party, maybe I would have had an excuse. But not only are they going, they're taking their _boyfriends._ Great, I'm gonna get to feel like the fifth wheel again.

"Speaking of, did you finally tell your mom about Josh? I mean, you can't really hide it… it's not like he'll be showing up with you." I rolled my eyes at my best friend. I really should have just told my parents already. But I couldn't – they were just so excited.

"Nope. And I can't. Gotta think of plan B. I think I'm just gonna hire some random dude off the street," I said, laughing. I was joking, I think. I mean, that would be stupid, right?

Izzy smiled. But it wasn't her normal smile. It was her " _I have an evil plan and Clary is going to be my guinea pig_ " smile. I fucking hate that smile. "What?" I asked her.

"That's a great idea."

I cocked an eyebrow. "What, hiring homeless dude on the corner? For some reason, I don't think Mom and Dad will be happy when I show up with him."

"No, I meant hiring someone. And I know the perfect someone," Izzy said. She picked up her phone and texted someone before looking back to me. "Remember Alec's roommate, Jace? Welllllll, I bet you he'd do it. And he's hot as hell too! It's perfect!" She clapped her hands. I swear, sometimes I can't believe she is my best friend.

"Dude, the last time I saw Jace he spent half an hour staring at my tits and slapped my ass. He's not exactly the 'bring home to mom and dad' type, Iz."

"Clary, you totally made out with him on the Pandemonium dance floor. Don't act like he was some sort of deranged perv…" Izzy reminded me. Like I could forget that night. It was permanently etched in my mind.

"My point exactly. I don't need some hot guy who will keep me hot and bothered all weekend. I need a gentleman. Someone I will be proud to introduce to my family."

"And he can totally be that guy," Izzy insisted. I thought about. Jace did clean up well. Not to mention that he was raised upper class and wealthy, so he knows how to navigate the world that my parents live in. And he's a lawyer. He _could_ impress them. And he's not some stuck up snob like so many "impressive gentlemen" (as my mom calls the parade of men she has brought me throughout the years).

"Fine, tell him to come over with Alec for dinner tonight and we'll talk about it." Jace Herondale is sex on a stick. Seriously, he's six foot two inches tall, with golden hair and eyes, lean, ripped muscles and 'kiss me' lips. The first time I met him, I wanted to jump his bones. But he's kind of an asshole, so I've restrained myself. But I guess he _is_ my usual type. And if he's willing to agree to some ground rules, maybe I could make it work. We'd definitely have to move past the drunken kissing incident, though. I don't know if he'd be willing to drop that. Oh well, worth a shot. As I got up to go check in inventory, I smiled at Izzy who was busy typing away on her phone, clearly setting everything up for dinner tonight.

Hours later, I arrived home from the shop tired and grumpy. I'd had to stay late to deal with a delivery issue, and I was so not in the mood for another one of Izzy's "family dinners." Every two weeks, Izzy, Alec and I have dinner together. Apparently, we don't see each other enough (bullshit, since Izzy and I live and work together and Alec lives across the street… but whatever). She always orders in the best food (since none of us can cook to save our lives… and if Izzy cooked, we would actually die) and buys nice wine and it's usually pretty fun. But tonight, Jace was going to be there. Jace who I couldn't get out of my mind all day. Jace who I was constantly imagining pushing me up against a wall and making me moan. Ughh, I hate everything.

As I entered the apartment, I got a whiff of deliciousness. _Lorenzo's_ has the best Italian food this side of Little Italy, and it's my absolute fave. Izzy certainly was going all out tonight.

"Hey, Red," I was greeted from the couch as I took of my coat. And there he was. Mr. Sex himself. Jace was sitting on my couch looking good enough to eat. He was wearing suit pants, black with a thin pinstripe, with a blue shirt and blue and grey tie. His suit jacket was laid over the back of the couch. He must have come straight from work. Jace is a lawyer; he works at the same firm as Alec. That's actually how they met. Don't ask me how a guy like Jace got into and passed law school, let alone passed the bar and got a job at a premier firm. I don't know the answer. I just know it happened. And that he looks good enough to eat in a suit.

He must have noticed my eyes lingering on him for too long because he started chuckling before getting up and walking over to me. I was frozen in place. I couldn't move. Hell, I could barely breathe.

"You look good, too, Red," he whispered as he came to a stop in front of me. I glanced down at my outfit. I wasn't wearing anything special - just some tight jeans and a cashmere sweater that hugs my curves with some knee-high boots.

"Hey Jace," I said, finally snapping out of my stupor. Just then, Izzy came out of her bedroom.

"Hi Clare! Did you finish up at the shop?" I nodded. "Good, Alec is about two minutes away, so I say we open up the wine." The three of us sat around the table, pouring wine and chatting idly while we waited for Alec. A couple minutes later, he rushed in, face flush and breathing heavily.

"Sorry I'm late, the boss needed to see me…" I saw Jace give him a sympathetic look at nod discreetly. I wonder what that shit's about.

"So, anyone want to tell me why I'm here?" Jace asked just as the food was being passed around. All eyes were on me before Iz finally spoke up.

"Jace, Clary needs a favor. And she's willing to pay you handsomely for it."

"Yes, Red? Whatever could you need from me?"

"So, here's the thing, asshole. My parents think I'm still dating this dude that I broke up with a while ago. By brother's engagement party is in a few weeks and I need a 'boyfriend,'" I said using air quotes. "I'll pay you $1,000 to be my date to the engagement party, the wedding shower, and the wedding. Plus, I'll pay your airfare and expenses. You have to pretend we've been dating for a while – and be a perfect gentleman. What do you say?" Alec choked on his food and Izzy patted his back comfortingly. Apparently she hadn't told him why Jace was invited tonight.

Jace was just staring at me, deep in thought. Then, suddenly he smiled his panty-dropping smile at me. "I'm in," he said before digging into his dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own anything but the plot. Get ready to meet the parents! Please let me know what you think - hearing from you gives me inspiration to write :)**

 **To those who reviewed Chapter 1 - thank you! Your amazing comments made me so happy. I don't have time to respond individually, but rest assured that I read all of the reviews and each and every one is appreciated. I'm glad you all like the story.**

A few weeks later, I found myself sitting at JFK Airport with Jace on one side and a sleeping Izzy on the other. Simon, Alec, and Magnus were sitting across from us, playing on their phones. I searched my entire bag and finally pulled out a stack of index cards, handing them to Jace.

"What's this?" he asked as he took the cards.

"It's everything you need to know about me and our relationship. Luckily, my parents didn't even know the name of Mr. Boyfriend, so you won't have to make up very much. You just have to know me and our 'relationship'… so study," I replied. He nodded and began looking over the cards. I had to admit, he wasn't doing a half bad job already. He'd been on time, packed everything I told him to pack and hadn't made one crude joke to me yet. He'd also agreed to all my (many) rules for the weekend. Maybe we could actually pull this off.

I snuck a discrete look at Jace as he reviewed the cards. He was wearing dark wash jeans that hugged him in all the right places, a white polo shirt, a brown Columbia University hoodie, and brown Sperrys. It was a perfect, casual outfit that matched mine. I chose dark skinny jeans, a white, see through top with a cute cream tank underneath, a brown sweater, and brown wedge booties. It was funny that we kind of coordinated unintentionally. But it added to the "coupleness" so I didn't complain. Izzy rolled her eyes when she saw us, of course. But it's not like we purposefully coordinated. That counts for something, right?

The plane ride was uneventful, but I awoke to find my head rested on Jace's shoulder. His head was leaned on top of mine. God, we looked like a fucking couple. That was not part of the plan. When we arrived at Palm Beach International Airport, most of us bypassed baggage claim and went out front to wait for the limo my parents were sending. Magnus made a quick detour to the baggage area, though, because even though it was just a weekend it was Magnus… he packed enough for a week, plus a carry on makeup bag. As the limo pulled up, Jace took the handle of my suitcase. "I've got it, love," he drawled. I may or may not have shivered (definitely did) a bit at that, but I willingly let him grab my bag for me – something I normally don't do. I found that I was breaking several rules with Jace already. Not good. I'd told him he needed to start right away because my parents' staff is very observant and he thankfully had listened so _he didn't know_ that I was breaking my rules. Thank goodness. He handed the bags to our driver before following the rest of the group into the limo.

Half an hour later, we arrived at my childhood home. It is a sprawling, 10,000 square foot home on several acres of land. It was everything I'd spent the last six years running from. I knew that I'd picked the right person when I looked to my right and saw Magnus and Simon looking a bit shell shocked while Jace was the epitome of calm and collected. This stuff didn't surprise him. Hell, I bet his childhood home was even bigger. We all piled out of the limo and saw my parents and the Lightwoods sitting on the patio, probably awaiting our arrival. Izzy squealed a bit before running towards her parents, dragging Simon by the hand. Alec and Magnus followed. I took a deep breath and reached for Jace's hand.

"You ready?" I asked him. He nodded, smiling and squeezing my hand. We made our way to my parents.

Looking as posh and perfect as usual, Valentine and Jocelyn Morgenstern were everything I didn't want to be. Valentine with his white hair and tan skin, was dressed in khaki pants and a cable knit sweater with his signature loafers. And Jocelyn was wearing a classic Kate Spade dress that was clearly designed for her and had her red hair wrapped in an intricate bun on her head. Uggghhhh, my parents and their prep-tastic fashion sense. They are social leaders, business mavericks, and total slaves to wealth and privilege.

Don't get me wrong, I love them a lot. They gave me everything I could ever ask for and always loved me. They provided for me and allowed me the opportunity to follow my dreams. I know how lucky I am. But they were also stifling and traditional, which is so not my thing. And they have _very specific_ ideas of how I should and should not live my life. Hence the fact that I am _paying_ someone to be my boyfriend for the weekend.

"Mom, Daddy," I greeted them, letting go of Jace's hand to hug each of them. Then I retrieved his hand and wrapped my arm around his left arm. "This is Jonathan Herondale, my boyfriend."

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am, sir." He shook my father's hand and kissed my mother on the cheek, never letting go of my hand. "I can't thank you enough for inviting me to be a part of this." My mother blushed slightly as he pulled away. "And please, call me Jace," Jace added with a thousand watt smile. God, he was so perfect at this. Why did I ever doubt him?

"Of course, we are so glad you could make it... Herondale, you wouldn't be related to Imogen Herondale, would you?" my father asked. Crap, I hadn't even considered the fact that Jace could actually be related to someone my parents had known when they lived in New York.

"Yes, sir," Jace replied with a smile. "She's my grandmother."

My father's smile grew impossibly wider. "She was a great benefactor of the children's center I was chairman of the board of in New York. Wonderful lady, great family." We chatted for a few more minutes. I swear, my mom's heart was fluttering and my dad was thrilled with my boyfriend by the end of the conversation. Dad wandered away, back to the Lightwoods, who were deep in discussion with their own children. My mom quickly followed him. I sighed. My parents, the polite souls, don't really seem to care about goodbyes… they kind of just wander off.

"That went well," Jace said quietly, squeezing my hand again.

"Yeah, I guess," I said. No need to stroke his already impressive ego with how much my parents seemed impressed by him. I began to lead him towards the porch to see the rest of the family.

"Rissa!" I heard someone scream from behind me, making me smile brightly. Only one person in the world called me Rissa. I turned around, letting go of Jace's hand.

"Johnny!" I screamed back, opening my arms wide for my brother, who came barreling into them. I had really missed Jon. He looked older, but still had the same pale blond hair, almost white like our father, and green eyes that mirrored my own. We hugged for what felt like forever, smiling and laughing. When we finally separated, I looked back to Jace, who had a strange look in his eye. It was almost… longing. I don't know what that was about, honestly. Oh well.

"Jon, this is Jace, by boyfriend. Jace, this is my brother, Jon," I introduced the two blond men. Jon gave Jace a critical gaze, sizing him up. _Ugh, boys_.

Jace extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Jon. I've heard a lot about you." Jon hesitantly took Jace's hand, shaking it roughly.

"Really, because she _never_ talks about you," Jon replied with a skeptical look in his eyes. Crap, he's being all _observant_ and shit. This is bad. Jace stepped next to me and slipped his arm around my shoulder, tugging me close.

"Well, you know our Clary. She's a hard nut to crack. Took her three months to even introduce me as her boyfriend. If I didn't work with Alec, I probably never would have even met the crew. It took weeks of begging to be allowed to come this weekend. Congrats, by the way," Jace said coolly. Damn, he can keep his calm. Good to know. Jon looked at me, and I smiled. He smiled back before turning to Jace.

"True. Rissa here doesn't make it easy. But you're the first boyfriend I've met since high school, so expect a grilling later. For now, I'll just say thanks for the congrats man…" The tension seemed to break when Jon finally smiled at Jace. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding and I felt Jace do the same.

"So, where's Cami?" I asked my brother, taking the attention away from my "relationship."

"She's back at the house. We have a bunch of stuff to do to prepare for the party tomorrow. I'm not even staying long; I just wanted to say hi to my baby sister and my friends. Cami says hi though and she can't wait to see you tomorrow." I smiled. I always liked Camille. She and Jon were such a great couple that they almost made me gag. Okay, so there were a few times in high school where they actually did make me gag. And maybe a time or two in college.

Jon and Camille live in a neighborhood about ten minutes drive from my parents. Jon works for my dad's company as a Vice President and Cami is a pediatrician. They like to live the life my parents, and Cami's parents, have always wanted carried on. They are my parents thirty years ago. And they love it. Whatever floats their boats, I guess. At least my parents have one kid who followed their path.

"Anyhow, I'm gonna run and say hi to the Lightwoods, then I've gotta get home. See you tomorrow afternoon Rissa, Jace," Jon said before leaving. I watched him run over to greet Alec with a hug. I know they missed each other – they visit each other often, but I don't think it's the same as it was growing up next door to each other and being college roommates. When Alec came out of the closet when we were in high school, Jon and my parents let him stay with us for weeks while the Lightwood parents "adjusted" (they freaked the fuck out, let me tell you – thank god they got over that). The two boys were closer than brothers. Alec is going to be Jon's best man.

What felt like hours later, after mingling with family and friends, Jace and I were in the family room, skimming channels on the television. Izzy, Simon, Alec and Magnus were staying at the Lightwood home. Jon had gone home. It was just my parents and us now. I couldn't wait til my parents went to sleep so I could finally relax. This whole fake dating thing was way more exhausting than I expected.

"Clary, dear, your father and I are going to sleep… do you two need anything?" my mother asked, dragging my attention to the doorway. She and my father were standing there, clearly tired from all of the excitement.

"Um, did Dorthea take out bedding for the spare room?" I asked. Dorthea is our housekeeper. She's worked for my family since before I was born. And she makes damn good food. Thank god, or I would have starved growing up because my parents travelled so much.

"Oh, darling, we aren't naïve. Jace doesn't need to stay in the spare room. You will both stay in your room. We are hip parents, after all," my father said. I rolled my eyes, half horrified and half amused by his antics. He's one of those dads that desperately wants to be cool but fails constantly. It's pathetic, actually.

"Oh, I just assumed I guess. He really doesn't mind staying in the other room, if it will make you more comfortable," I said. Jace nodded in agreement.

"Not necessary, goodnight Clary, Jace. Use protection - I'm still too young to be a grandfather." My father kissed me on my blushing cheek before leading my mom up the stairs to their room. Well shit. I turned back to Jace, who seemed abnormally engrossed in an episode of Law and Order: SVU.

"I hope you don't mind sharing a room with me," I said to him. He smiled brightly at me.

"Not at all. In fact, I can't wait." I groaned, preparing for the worst as I clicked off the TV and led Jace upstairs to my room. Thank god I have a king sized bed… I was tempted to make Jace sleep on the floor, but then I figured he was doing me a favor and that would be rude. And there was no way in hell _I_ was sleeping on the floor.

"So, this is Clary Morgenstern's childhood bedroom," Jace muttered to himself, looking around at my pale pink covered room. What can I say, at some point I was a girly girl. Izzy actually helped me paint the room when we were fourteen – she suggested the pink, I originally wanted neon green. I was going through a rebellious phase and wanted to freak my khaki and tan loving parents out. And it definitely worked, but they let me keep it. Izzy was sure that if I had chosen the green they would have officially disowned me.

I blushed slightly as Jace looked at my trophy and ribbon wall. In high school, I was a cheerleader and rode horses, both of which led to all kinds of awards. Looking back, I'm horrified that I was _that girl_ , but back then I loved it. I distracted myself by going over to my suitcase and retrieving my pajamas. Making my way into my en suite bathroom, I started taking deep breaths. It would be okay. I mean, it was just Jace. We were friends. We could share a large bed. We could do this.

I opened the bathroom door, planning on making my way to the bed and slipping in, planning to avoid Jace completely. But as I looked out, I saw him in just a pair of loose basketball shorts and nothing else. I tried, I really did. But damn, the boy's chest was calling my name. I couldn't help the noise of appreciation that came out of my mouth. Jace's eyes shot up to me. To be fair, he looked just as wrecked seeing me in my tank top and short shorts as I felt looking at him.

I swallowed thickly and made my way to my side of the bed, ignoring his heated gaze. Plugging in my phone, I pulled the sheets back and crawled in, sighing at the familiar comfort my childhood bed brought. Jace was silent as he crawled into the bed next to me. We laid with our backs to each other, careful not to touch.

"Goodnight Clary," he whispered.

"Night, Jace." I drifted off into a dreamless slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

**I still don't own TMI or Jace, despite my wishes. I just wanted to remind you all, this story is rated M, so if that makes you uncomfortable, I should warn you that it only gets hotter from here. I hope you all like this chapter. Thank you for the reviews, they really give me the motivation to continue with this story.**

 _We were sleeping, when suddenly Jace rolled over to face me, my back to him, and ran his hand down the curves of my body. Everywhere his hand grazed tingled._

 _"Clary," he whispered before kissing my neck lightly. His touch set me afire as I rolled over to look at him. His arm wrapped around my waist, dragging me closer to him until our hips were touching. I gasped at the feeling of him against me. He raised his head, looking at me with a heated gaze for a few seconds before lowering his lips to mine. And it was_ magic. _His lips were soft and full against mine. Suddenly, his tongue was running along the seam of my lips, begging me to open them. I did so willingly, eager to taste him. He tasted like mint… fresh and clean._

 _I moved closer, rolling Jace onto his back and climbing onto him. Straddling his hips, I ran my hands along his bare chest. His hands slid under my tank, running over my ribs and reaching the underside of my breasts, touching them tantalizingly lightly. I dragged my aching, wet core along Jace, reveling in the hardness between his legs rubbing me in exactly the right place through our thin sleep clothes. Jolts of pleasure ran through me. His hand made their way to my erect nipples, pinching and pulling them roughly. The tension in the pit of my stomach was growing._

 _"Jace," I moaned in ecstasy._

 _"Clary," he replied before kissing me deeply, shifting his hips and making me groan into his mouth with the new angle. The clothes had to come off, now. The heat was unbearable, yet I couldn't get enough. "Clary, Clary…" he whispered._

I woke up heaving. Gold eyes were staring into mine with an odd look I couldn't quite place. It took me a minute to calm down and regulate my breathing before I spoke. "What, what's wrong?" I asked Jace, trying to forget how completely aroused I was at that minute.

"I don't know, you tell me. You were moaning and tossing and turning. I thought maybe you were sick so I tried to wake you up. But then, well, you mumbled..." he trailed off. Crap, he knew. And then he smirked at me. The bastard smirked. "You said my name. Well, actually, you _moaned_ my name."

"Don't flatter yourself, golden boy." I could feel the flush rushing into my face. Thank god it was dark.

"Hard not to when a beautiful girl was dreaming about me," Jace replied. He moved impossibly closer, making my breath hitch. "What were you dreaming about, Clare?" His hand lit a fire on my body as it trailed down my arm and rested on my hip. His lips were so close to mine that I could nearly taste them. I closed my eyes for a second before putting my hands on his chest.

Then I pushed him so hard that he lost his balance and fell off the bed with a huff. Leaning over the bed to look at him, I couldn't help the laugh that escaped as I saw his shell-shocked expression cut through the darkness of the room. "Fuck you," I said.

"I know you want to," he replied before crawling back into the bed. "And I'm just saying… I'm _not opposed_ to that." I rolled my eyes, faced away from him, and tried to go back to sleep, pointedly ignoring the throbbing between my legs.

A few hours later, I woke up again. I was warm all over. There was a weight over my waist. As I regained consciousness, I realized that Jace was nuzzled next to me. We were fucking _spooning_. His chest was against my back and our legs were all tangled together. His arm was flung over my hips, his hand rested on my stomach. I rolled over in his arms, watching the rise and fall of his chest for a few minutes. I couldn't deny that he was beautiful… all hard muscles and sharp angles. But more than that, he was a friend. And that was scary – I could see myself actually _caring_ about him. Damn him. Burying those emerging feelings deep, I shook Jace's shoulder gently.

"Jace," I whispered. "Jace!" He jerked awake, a terrified expression on his face. Then he realized we were _cuddling_ and he looked just about as horrified as I felt when I realized I'd enjoyed it. _Almost_ as horrified.

"What the fuck, Clary!" he screamed as he pushed away from me. I immediately noticed the loss of warmth. I missed it, which shocked me. I am by no means a cuddler. I prefer my own space. But lying with Jace had been… comfortable.

"Sshhhh," I hissed, slapping his bare shoulder, not letting my feelings get in the way of handling the situation. "My parents are probably still sleeping. You need to get up; we've got stuff to do this morning. We're supposed to meet the crew for breakfast." Jace yawned loudly, right in my face. "Ugh, your morning breath is disgusting…" I complained, grimacing.

He laughed his stupid, charming laugh. "Yours isn't exactly wonderful either, babe… but I did love snuggling." Again, I slapped his shoulder before getting up to get dressed. I heard Jace moving behind me and assumed he was doing the same.

Minutes later, we headed downstairs to grab some coffee on our way to Benedict's, a local breakfast place that we frequented all the time in high school. It's a tradition that when the Lightwoods and I are back in town we head over there for at least one meal. While Jace was pouring the coffee and I was retrieving the cream and sugar (for Jace, of course – I take my coffee black, like my soul), my mom walked in. "You two are up early," she said, wrapping her arms around me for a brief hug.

"Yep, lots to do before tonight…" I responded. Jace just nodded, pouring the cream in his coffee and stirring it. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he savored the coffee – trying not to be flustered by his good looks. Then I saw my mom looking at me with a foreign expression on her face. She looked… contemplative. And I didn't like it. So I grabbed Jace's mug and placed it in the sink next to my own, taking his hand and dragging him out of the room as quickly as I could. The fact that my family was being their usual, intuitive selves was really frustrating my ability to fool them. Damn smart people. "Mom, we're heading to breakfast, be back later!" I shouted.

"Heyyy, what's the rush?" Jace asked as I pulled him out of the house.

"My mom is being all Nancy Drew like. I could legit hear the cogs in her brain turning. Doesn't bode well for my lying," I said as I walked him over to my parent's Mercedes. Luckily, they let me drive it when I'm at home. Jace wasn't even fazed… I knew he was raised privileged, but he didn't seem surprised at all with the big house, the nice things, and the money. Just who was this guy exactly? We drove in silence to the restaurant, which, thankfully, is only a few minutes away. The Lightwoods weren't there yet, so we went in and claimed a corner booth. Jace sat close to me. Too close. The man didn't recognize personal space. And damn it if it didn't feel nice to be close to him. Miserable and uncomfortably warm, but nice. Damn him.

When Izzy walked in, I was thrilled to jump up and hug her. "Everything okay?" she whispered in my ear as I pulled her close.

"Yeah, fine, why?"

"You're blushing." She was giving me the knowing, _I told you so_ look. I pulled away and sat back in my seat, pushed even closer to Jace when Iz sat next to me. Simon, Alec and Magnus were across from us. Just then, a beautiful woman made her way to our table. She was tall, thin, and blonde, with gorgeous, shapely legs and huge tits. She was grinning and staring unabashedly at Jace. I hated her immediately. Not because of Jace, though. Because she was a bitch. I could just tell.

"Hello, welcome to Benedict's. My name is Kaelie and I'll be your waitress today," her sickly sweet voice announced her presence. Simon looked wide-eyed before he had the decency to find Izzy's eyes and then go back to his menu. Jace, on the other hand, openly ogled the waitress. Apparently unfazed by my disgusted face, he struck up a conversation with her. After a minute or two, I growled under my breath and stepped on Jace's foot. He yelped a little bit, before returning his gaze to me.

" _Kaelie_ , I think we would like to order, please," I said, hoping my passive aggressive bitch self wasn't going over her head. Jace glared at me. Probably because I interrupted his chance to score. Oh well.

"Right, of course. What can I get you all?" After we ordered and I finally got Jace to ignore the whore of the hour, the six of us began talking about the engagement party.

"Clare, I'll be by your house at 3 pm. That gives us four hours to get ready… I hope that's enough time. You brought the dress, right?" Izzy said through bites of food.

"Yes, Izzy. I did as instructed."

"Good girl." Izzy smirked at me before returning to her pancakes.

"Wait, why do you need four hours to get ready?" Jace asked innocently. Eight eyes glared at his obliviousness. No one answered him. Seriously, what an idiotic question. Has he ever even _met_ a girl that he doesn't just sleep with and discard?

When our meal was over, Jace offered to pay for mine. Nope, not gonna happen. That would make things feel far too real. And they already felt too real. Not that he knew that. But still… real is not good. So I paid for my own food before silently driving back to my house. Jace announced he was going for a run when we got back and I was thankful to have some time to think before Izzy arrived. My parents were already at Jon and Cami's house setting up (more like supervising the staff). So I was alone with my thoughts, which, because life hates me, all revolved around Jace. Mostly the thoughts were about how to keep him out of my mind. Clearly, I was successful.

A couple of hours later, Izzy arrived and Jace got home only minutes after her. I banished him to the guest room so he'd be out of our hair while we prepped. He was tasked with greeting Simon, Alec and Magnus when they arrived. Izzy and I went to my room to get ready. First, we took turns showering, shaving, and washing. Then we painted our nails and toes (her blood red and me an emerald green – to match our dresses, obviously). Izzy's inky black hair is naturally stick straight, so she spent the majority of the afternoon straightening and then re-curling my hair until it fell into soft curls.

Then we each slipped on our dresses before Izzy did our makeup. Before I knew it, it was 6:45 and time to leave for Jon's house. Izzy looked amazing in her blood red, long dress with a huge slit up the side. I examined myself in the mirror. The sleeveless, emerald green dress I was wearing was tight at the top, showing off my chest (thank god for push-up bras) and flat stomach before flaring out from my hips to the middle of my thighs. I had tall nude heels on, making my legs look much longer than they should given my 5 foot 3 inch tall frame. The green made my matching eyes pop and my red, tamed curls glow. I couldn't wait for Jace to see me. Even though I was strictly enforcing boundaries with him, I couldn't help the primal urge I had to see the effect I had on him.

"You ready?" Izzy asked me, putting her lipstick in her purse and then handing me mine. I nodded. "Let's go watch the boys lose their minds then!" We locked arms and made our way down the stairs. As we turned the corner into the kitchen where we knew the boys were waiting, I heard several surprised gasps and the sound of a glass breaking. I looked up to find Simon staring wide-eyed at Izzy, practically drooling. But to my surprise, the broken glass was in front of Jace's feet, not Simon's.

And damn, he looked so good. I just wanted to lick him. His sleek black suit was perfectly tailored to his body. He was wearing a black button up and an emerald green tie (thank goodness Alec hadn't forgotten to bring it). His golden eyes and hair were literally shining. I felt my knees go weak a little bit. And this golden god was staring right at me, his eyes burning with what could only be described as lust. Vaguely, I saw Simon and Magnus cleaning up the glass and spilled water. But I couldn't tear my eyes away from Jace, manners be damned. The air was sizzling between us as he moved closer to me.

"You look…" I smirked at his loss of words. So unlike him.

"I know," I replied simply. "You too."

"Okay," Izzy interrupted our moment. "If you two are done eye fucking each other, we need to go." Leave it to her to burst my bubble. Clearly this was payback for all the time I've interrupted her and Simon fucking on every surface of my apartment, and the subsequent cleaning and disinfecting I forced her to do.

"Let's go," I said, leading the group out of the house. Hopefully, all would go well tonight and I wouldn't self-combust.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own TMI, just the plot. So this chapter is pretty serious and contains lots of Jace backstory. Also, TRIGGER WARNING – this chapter contains talk of bullying, suicide, and depression.**

 _ **I also want to say that bullying is never, ever okay or acceptable - I don't care what the circumstances are. People don't deserve to be demeaned, teased, or treated badly. If you see it, do something. Speak up. And if you or someone you care about are struggling, reach out for help - from parents, siblings, friends, teachers, strangers, or professionals - from anyone. People care, I promise.**_

Jon's backyard looked amazing. The palm trees that lined his yard were dazzling, covered with clear lantern lights. There were several tables spread across the yard, covered with purple and silver tablecloths and pictures of Cami and Jon were centered on each table. Their pool even had candles floating on it. Even I had to admit that it was beautiful. There were about 75 people scattered around, talking and eating. I recognized a few faces, but most were strangers. As we entered, Izzy told me that she and the others were going to find their family and Jace and I went to search mine out.

Jace had his hand on the small of my back; I tried to ignore the heat spreading from his hand through my body. He leaned down a bit to whisper in my ear. "Calm down, Clary. You look super uncomfortable. Relax." Surprisingly, I did relax. He was right. If I screwed this up, my family would probably never forgive me and I wouldn't even be able to blame Jace because he was being fucking perfect.

"Clarissssssaaaaa," I heard a singsong voice call from behind me. I turned around to see my grandparents, Steven and Estelle Morgenstern, waving at me.

"Shit," I mumbled, taking Jace's hand and dragging him towards my family.

"Clary, hello darling," my grandpa greeted me, hugging me. As soon as he let go, my grandma pulled me in for a hug of her own. My mom's parents died when I was a baby, but we've always been close to my dad's parents. I saw my grandpa eyeing Jace and immediately broke away from the hug.

"Grams, Gramps, this is Jonathan Herondale, my boyfriend," I introduced them.

"Please call me Jace. It's a pleasure, sir, ma'am." He was such a gentleman. I didn't swoon. I swear.

"Herondale – you're related to Imogen and Michael?" my grandfather asked.

"Yes sir," Jace confirmed, nodding. "They're my grandparents. Do you know them?"

"We lived in New York for many years before we moved here. We moved in the same circles as your grandparents. Lovely people. How are they?" My grandmother actually sounded interested, which was shocking – she is rarely interested in other people. She must have really liked the Herondales.

"Granddad passed a few years ago, I'm afraid. Grandmom is still going strong though," Jace said with a sad smile. For the first time, I found myself wishing I knew about his family.

"Yes, well, please, Clary, give him our phone number to pass along to her. It's been far to long."

"Of course, Grams," I responded without thinking. The fact that this whole thing could get complicated hit me suddenly. Our grandparents were friends. The whole scheme could implode around me if they started talking again. As Jace and my grandparents kept talking, I actually regretted not hiring the homeless guy. Before I could pull him away and mention the issue to Jace, I was interrupted.

"Rissa, hey!" I heard as strong arms wrapped around me. I sunk into the comfort of my brother, temporarily forgetting the stress. I turned around and saw Cami and Jon looking like the picture perfect couple, as usual.

"Hi Jon. Hey Cam! The place looks great. Congrats again, you two," I said as I pulled Cami into a hug. We'd had our differences growing up. I was jealous of her taking my brother away (I was a fucking awful twelve year old). Then I hated her friends (still do). Then I thought my parents liked her better than me (probably true). But a few years ago I finally accepted that Jon loved her and decided to get to know her. And I'm glad I did. She's not a spoiled little rich girl like I'd assumed. She's tough, and smart, and passionate. And her and Jon are perfect.

"Clary! I'm so glad you could make it." Cami was practically glowing with joy. "I see Grams and Gramps have commandeered your boyfriend. And I really wanted to meet him," she whispered to me as Jon wandered off to greet others. I laughed as I followed her gaze and saw the back of Jace's head. My grandparents had surrounded him. He was probably being grilled on his life choices. I decided to rescue him.

"Cami, I'll see you later. I need to rescue my boyfriend from the crazy." She laughed and hugged me, reminding me to find my parents soon. Then I made my way back to Jace.

"Hey babe, we should really find my parents. I bet they're looking at us." He gave me a grateful glance as he said goodbye to them. I found his arm snaking around mine again and sighed. We wandered the party, occasionally greeting people, until we found my parents. They were so distracted by their hosting duties that they didn't really have time to talk, so Jace and I found seats with our friends.

A couple of hours later, Jace and I were dancing. We were far too close together. I really should have pushed him away. But I may have had a few too many vodka cranberries. The stress of my situation started to seep back in, so I started drinking. By the time we were dancing, I was totally okay with PDA with Jace. My cheek rested on his shoulder; my head was nestled under his neck (thank god for tall ass heels). We were swaying to a Brian McKnight hit from the nineties and Jace's arms were wrapped tightly around my waist. I felt… content, which was a new feeling for me.

As we spun around on the dance floor, my eyes met Izzy's. She gave me a strange look, one I couldn't quite place, before turning back to Simon. Jace brought attention back to him by running a hand down my arm, making me get goosebumps. His eyes burned with lust and something else I couldn't place.

"Do you want to head out? Nearly everyone is gone or too drunk to notice?" he whispered into my ear. His warm breath spread over my face and I felt the blush that I knew tinged my cheeks. I nodded, finding myself unable to speak. I led him to say goodbye to my family.

"Cami," I announced as we arrived at their table, putting a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She turned to look at me, smiling. Then her eyes met Jace's and her smile immediately turned downward.

"Jace Herondale?" she said with shock in her voice. My head turned towards Jace, who looked like a deer in headlights.

"Camille… I… I didn't know that you were Clary's Cami. I uh, I uh…" I'd never heard Jace stutter quite like this. What the hell was going on?

"You two know each other?" Jon asked. I could tell he was just as confused as I was.

"He dated Aline for a couple of years," Cami explained. Well, at least _they_ were never together. Finding out that Cami cheated on my brother with my fake boyfriend would have really ruined the wedding mood. But still, _Aline_. Ughhh, Aline Pennhallow was the bane of my existence growing up before she was sent off to boarding school for the last year of high school. She and Camille were good friends, still are as far as I know – I mean, Aline's in the wedding party. And then, as I was in the middle of contemplating a world where Jace dated Aline, the worst happened.

"Jace Herondale, you're a sight for sore eyes." Shit, it was Aline. She was here. I mean, not that I was surprised considering it was her best friend's engagement and all, but damn she had good timing. And she was looking as beautiful as always. Jace noticeably blanched when he heard her voice. There was sweat gathering on his brows.

"Aline," he whispered, staring at the ground. Then he turned to me. "I gotta go." I nodded and took his hand, silently telling him I'd go with him. We left immediately, only stopping to say goodbye to my parents and our friends, who I promised to text later. I didn't know what was going on, but I wanted to find out. The car ride home was silent, the tension palpable. As I let Jace inside the house, I felt my heart beating faster. I wanted answers. The silence continued as we went upstairs.

After changing into my pajamas in the bathroom and washing off my makeup, I found Jace sitting on my bed, staring at the wall. He was still in his suit, although his tie was loosened and a few buttons were undone. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. I sat down next to him and took his right hand in one of mine.

"You want to talk about it?" I asked him gently. It was so unlike me, but I wanted to comfort him. I hadn't comforted anyone since I was twelve and Alec pushed Izzy off a swing set in their yard – she skinned her knee and I made it better. Puberty made me abrasive and uncaring, as my mother so kindly puts it. But Jace needed me, and for once I actually wanted to help.

He shook his head. "Not really, but I probably should." He took a deep breath and squeezed my hand.

"Aline and I met when we were seniors in high school. She was beautiful and popular and everything I thought I wanted in a girlfriend. I actually thought I loved her. She was my first serious relationship. My twin sister and I went to the same boarding school as her. That's how we met.

"She and Cecily were friends. Great friends. And everything was great. We all went to NYU together – me, Aline, and Cecily. Cecily started dating this guy – Sebastian. I didn't like him, but who was I to tell my sister she couldn't date who she wanted, right? So I let it go."

There was a lone tear trailing down his cheek, which I wiped away with my free hand. "A few months later, there was this party. I was hanging out, drinking, you know, the stuff a 19-year-old guy does at a party. Cecily went looking for Sebastian. She found him in one of the bedrooms, fucking Aline from behind. She screamed and they just looked at her. Aline smiled and told Sebastian to keep going, which he did. Cecily ran all the way back to her dorm. I found her there, crying into her pillow, the next day. Over the next few months, she got more and more depressed. I tried to get her to talk to someone, but she wouldn't. She stopped going to class, didn't want to see anyone. A month later, we were home visiting our parents and I went into her room one night and found her passed out in her bathtub with two empty bottles of pain pills next to her. My mom had just had surgery, and Cecily had stolen her pills and taken all of them…" I sucked in a breath in shock and waited for Jace to collect himself and continue the story when he was ready.

"I called 911, but it was too late. She was pronounced dead at the scene. It was awful, Clary, watching my sister being carried out in a body bag. She was my everything – our parents weren't home much, and we were in boarding school as kids. It had always been the two of us. A few weeks after the funeral, I went through her stuff and found a diary. It had all these letters from Aline in it. Apparently, the bitch had been taunting my sister for weeks about how she was good enough, wasn't pretty enough, wasn't enough for Sebastian. She told her to kill herself, that the world wouldn't miss her." With that, Jace took a final breath and started crying harder, wiping the tears furiously like he was mad at himself for being weak.

"Jace, I'm so, so sorry. I… I had no idea. I never, ever would have done any of this if I had known… I can't even imagine what that was like." I leaned close to him, resting my head on his shoulder and squeezing his hand tighter. He wrapped his arm around me.

Before I knew it, he moved me in his arms so that I was sitting on his lap, my knees on either side of his hips. I was straddling him. My forehead was resting against his and I could feel his breath coming out in short bursts and fanning over my face. His arms were around my waist; mine were resting on his shoulders. I wanted to comfort him, to let him know I was there. I wanted to show him that it was going to be okay.

"We'll 'break up'," I announced, feeling like I had just gotten punched in the gut as soon as I said it. I didn't realize how attached I'd gotten until that moment. I mean, it had only been a few days. His eyes widened in surprise and, possibly, fear.

"What? Why?"

"She's… she's in the wedding party with me. I'll have to be around her. I won't put you through that." Our foreheads were still touching and he pulled me even closer to him. He was tense below me. Before I could say anything else, he lurched forward and our lips met.

I don't want to be the cliché idiot that says 'it was like fireworks went off' or 'the whole world faded away' but I can't help it. I'd never, ever, experienced a kiss like that one. It was so much more than any other kiss I'd had. It was different than the boring, plain kisses I'd had with other boys. It was not feverish like the ones I'd shared with Jace at the club months ago. It was… amazing. My hands threaded through his hair as he deepened the kiss. His hands slid under my shirt and across my spine.

And then he pulled away. He rejected me. I, Clary Morgenstern, was rejected. That had never happened to me before and hell, it really stung. So I climbed off of Jace, rolled over and tried to go to sleep, all the while trying to hide my tears. This whole thing was over now - I needed to remember who I was and what I wanted.


	5. Chapter 5

**I still don't own TMI, only the plot and the fact that the characters are OOC. But other than that, all rights go to Cassie Clare.**

 **Thanks for the reviews, they mean a lot to me! For those that have expressed concerns about why Aline wasn't punished and the bullying/suicide storyline, please keep reading. All will be revealed as Clary learns it. Remember, this is a Clace romance above all else. They are still building a relationship.**

 **And thank you for responding so well to the story. Please keep letting me know what you think.**

When I woke up the next morning, the sun wasn't up yet and the room was still covered in darkness. I checked my phone for the time, wincing when I saw that it was 4:30 am. Then I turned over to see if Jace was asleep. But the bed was empty. I reached over and ran my hand across the sheets. They were still warm. Where was he? I decided to go down to the kitchen for some warm milk since I couldn't fall back to sleep. As I landed at the bottom of the stairs, I noticed that the kitchen light was already on.

There was Jace, leaning against the kitchen island and eating ice cream. He was facing away from me and clearly hadn't heard me come down. I had two options, to quietly go back upstairs before he noticed me or to go to the kitchen and face the issue head on. Naturally, I decided that confrontation with my fake boyfriend in the middle of the night in my parents' kitchen was the best plan.

"Hi Jace," I greeted in a faux cheerful voice as I entered the room. I watched him start, clearly surprised by my arrival. He jumped off of the island and turned to face me.

"Clary," he whispered. He looked like a wreck. His hair was more disheveled than usual and he had dark circles under his red-rimmed eyes. He looked like he had been crying. "Listen, about earlier…"

"It was nothing," I interrupted him. "We were both upset and in the moment. It won't happen again. And I swear, I won't tell a soul anything you told me. It's our secret." He sighed. His eyes were blank and showed no emotion.

"Okay… and I don't want to back out of this deal."

"Why?" I asked. It wasn't like he needed to money – he's a lawyer. And it was going to be awkward as hell now between Aline and The Kiss (yes, it was so good that it is a proper noun now). I had no idea why he agreed to this deal in the first place, but I wanted to know why he agreed to keep going even after last night.

"I don't know. I just… don't. I want to see this through," he offered unhelpfully. His pursed lips and grimace told me I wouldn't be getting any real answers.

"Okay. Well, we go back to NYC today and then it's a couple months until the wedding shower, so you can think about it. Anyhow, I'm gonna try to get some sleep. We've got an early flight." He nodded before putting his bowl in the sink.

"Me too." He silently followed me upstairs and into bed. I stared at the ceiling for who knows how long until I noticed that his breathing evened out. Then, his hand reached out and his fingers grazed mine. His palm wrapped around mine and our fingers intertwined. I thought about pulling away but I just _couldn't_. I don't know why, but I couldn't. So I fell back to sleep with Jace's hand securely holding mine.

A few hours later, I once again found myself sitting between Izzy and Jace at an airport, this time for our return trip to New York. Jace had spent the entire day thus far semi-avoiding me but not ignoring me. He was there, and he talked to me, but there was a wall up that hadn't been there before. The frustration was seeping into my bones. Thank goodness my parents didn't notice anything. Still, I hadn't realized how much I enjoyed talking to him until I was met with stony silence and a blank face. No cockiness, no innuendos, and, even more disappointing, none of the real Jace I'd gotten a glimpse of last night. I missed it.

"Clary, lets make a Starbucks run," Izzy said out of the blue, giving me the ' _we need to talk'_ look that I know and love (hate). I nodded and followed her in silence. As we were standing in line, I fidgeted awkwardly, waiting for Izzy to say something.

"Did you and Jace fuck?" I reeled back when _that_ came out of her mouth.

"Uh, nooooo," I responded, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. Izzy stared at me for a moment, I guess to size up if I was telling the truth. When she finally deduced that I was, she smiled shyly.

"Sorry, it's just, you're both acting weird and you left early last night and you were supposed to text me and you never did and…" I cut her off.

"Weird shit happened. He shared personal stuff with me, and we may have kissed. That's it. It's over – the weekend is over." I stepped up the counter when it was my turn and ordered my grande vanilla latte. Izzy ordered and met me at the side counter to wait for our drinks.

"So, that's it then. You guys have a bonding moment and kiss and that's it? You don't see him until the wedding shower in February? You can't tell me you don't like him, Clare."

"I don't like him, Isabelle. And yes, that's it until the wedding shower." I could hear the hypocrisy, the lie, as it came out. The words stung on my tongue. But it _had to be true._ I couldn't _like like_ Jace Herondale even if I wanted to. He would ruin me. I'd seen that much last night when he stung me with his rejection.

On the plane ride home I sat with Izzy, forcing Jace to sit next to Simon as he rattled on about some comic book or something. Don't get me wrong, the nerd is one of my best friends, but he's still a nerd. Shockingly, he and Jace seemed to get along splendidly. They were laughing and doing something on Jace's iPad for nearly the entire flight. Not that I was watching out of the corner of my eye while pretending to read. No, that would be ridiculous.

After we landed, Jace said goodbye for climbing into the first cab he could find. By the time I reached my apartment, alone, because Iz went to Simon's, I was exhausted and confused. I didn't know what to make of my feelings. I mean, I was undeniably attracted to him, that much was fucking certain. The sex dreams were enough to tell me that. But there was something more there, something that I wasn't ready to embrace. Something scary. So I decided to bury it. Besides, Jace didn't feel the same, that's why he pulled away from the kiss. This was a business transaction, and I was going to treat it like one.

The weeks passed by in a blur. I went home again for Christmas, this time without Jace. It was strange, honestly. I slept in the big bed all by myself. I didn't have anyone to drink milk with in the middle of the night. My family asked questions about how Jace was, what he was up to, blah, blah, blah and I did my best to deflect. It was weird how one weekend with sex on a stick Herondale had made me miss him.

On Christmas Eve, I was in the family room watching a Christmas movie marathon on Lifetime and trying not to sob while my parents were at the Lightwoods' house for their annual Christmas party. I wasn't in a party mood. I missed Jace. Fuck, I really did. So I picked up my phone and texted him.

 _Merry Christmas, xo, Clary_

I'm an idiot, I know. I mean, clearly he didn't want to talk to me or see me – he would have called or texted or sent up a smoke signal over the past few weeks. This was business and he had no business obligations for more than a month. He was probably busy with his own family. I'd completely talked myself out of there being any chance that Jace would respond when my phone dinged.

 _Merry Christmas. I'm glad you texted. What are you doing? Still at the Lightwood party? – Jace_

I assumed Alec told Jace about their annual Christmas Eve party.

 _Nope, I stayed home – not in a party mood. I'm watching cheesy Christmas movies on Lifetime and trying to decide on what type of cat I should get to start my "crazy cat lady" cat collection with. You? – Clary_

Shit, before I could delete the last part, I hit send. Crap, now he knew I'm forever alone. Oh well, not like he cares about my love life anyway.

 _Well, if you don't wanna be a crazy cat lady, you know my number. But if you insist, get a Bengal cat. They are fucking awesome - basically a mini-Leopard. You wanna Facetime? I'm beyond board and could use some company. – Jace_

Well, maybe Jace and I could be friends after all. I mean, it was just a silly text conversation, but for the first time in weeks I felt at peace. This blondie was fucking with my head. Damn him. I couldn't help but think of what he was doing for Christmas, who he was with. Were his parents home? Was he drinking rum alone and watching Christmas movies (like me)? _Of course_ I wanted to Facetime with him.

 _Sure. – Clary_

Before I could fix my hair (which I would deny doing if anyone asked), my phone rang. When I answered, I was shocked to find a shirtless Jace on the screen, snuggling with a little _Bengal kitten._ Fuck everything. I think I may have temporarily passed out. Jace chuckled.

"Hello to you too, Red. So what's up? Didn't feel like partying it up?"

"Nah," I responded. "Is that your new pussy?" One point for Clary in the cleverness battle… I'm a genius, I know.

"Oh, no. This is my grandma's cat, Louise. Like most _pussies,_ she adores me. Responds to my every touch." Ugh, this man, seriously. Maybe he got a point in the not-a-competition innuendo competition for that one.

"Off to grandmother's house you go, huh?" I asked, deflecting from the awkward situation I created for myself.

"Yeah, my parents dragged me to her house for the night. It's like the one night of the year they're home, and we spend it at Grandma Imogen's penthouse, entertaining a shitload of strangers."

"Sounds like the Lightwood party, except, well, their parents aren't assholes." Shit, did I actually just insult the man's family to his face? What is wrong with me?

"Exactly. So I'm hiding out in my bedroom with the door locked, pretending that it's just a regular night at grandma's. And petting Louise, because she loves me."

I snorted. "You finally found a girl that loves you! Congrats!" He just rolled his eyes at me. We chatted for another two hours, about anything and everything. It was… nice. Normal. New. Something I'd really never done before. I found myself genuinely laughing and enjoying myself. When I heard my parents unlocking the front door, I glanced at the clock.

"My parents are home," I groaned.

"Sorry. Wanna stay on so I can say hi? You know, seal the deal of dating?" he asked. I nodded. Within seconds, my parents were greeting me.

"Jace, honey, it's good to see you! I hope all is well in New York," my mom said, grabbing my phone to see my "boyfriend."

"All is well here, Mrs. Morgenstern. Except I miss Clary terribly, of course." My mom smiled at that. Then my dad interrupted to say hi. And Jace entertained both of them. To my surprise, he didn't seem the least bit upset or uncomfortable with speaking to my parents – that was a first. Most guys I knew, hell, even Simon the first few times he met them, were terrified of my parents. They're just imposing people. But of course, Jace took it in stride, just like everything else. When my mom handed me back my phone and followed my dad upstairs to bed, I told Jace goodnight.

"Goodnight, Red. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Jace."

I spent the rest of the night watching romantic, sappy Christmas movies and Google-ing Bengal cats. Not that I would ever tell a living soul that.


	6. Chapter 6

**I hope you all like this next chapter. Sorry it took a while for me to get it posted, my mom has been extremely sick. I appreciate all of your comments, please keep reviewing. As usual, all I own is the plot.**

When I got back to New York after Christmas, I threw myself into work to distract me from my ridiculous and unnecessary desire to see Jace. We got a new shipment of antique books shortly after my return, and I was trying to figure out how to display them in a way that would attract customers. Unlike most used bookstores, we don't cater to the "selling my textbooks for beer money" crowd. We cater to those that are avid, sophisticated readers looking for eclectic, rare, or special books. Izzy still argues that we should expand to attract a wider clientele, but I think we do more than alright by staying true to our mission – as inspired by my first edition of _Wuthering Heights_ that sits in a glass case near the cash register. Why rock the boat? Thank goodness Izzy has the café to keep her busy or else she'd bother me obnoxiously about it.

One night in January, I was organizing some of the books. I leaned down to get another book and when I straightened, I saw a figure hovering outside of our door. The door was locked, but it was still creepy as hell, given that it was raining and like ten at night. Thank god I took that bad ass self defense class. I walked to the door, trying to get a glance at strange lurker/ potential rapist man to determine whether to call 911 or not. And I was shocked to find a wet Jace standing there. I quickly unlocked the door and ushered him inside.

"What are you doing here?" Damn, I sounded breathless. That was not good.

"I, uh, was in the neighborhood," he responded as he took of his coat and shook out his hair. The glare I shot him was met with a smirk. "I know I'm good looking Red, you don't have to stare."

"Fuck off if you're here to be a dick," I argued halfheartedly. Honestly, I was just happy to see him. Not that I would _ever_ tell him that. I'd rather burn in hell.

"Sorry, sorry… so this is a nice place you got here." He wasn't making eye contact and I was getting more and more concerned.

"Jace, why are you here? Seriously? It's like ten at night and it's miserable out…" I sat down on a sofa in the café area. He followed me and sat next to me.

"Okay, okay." He smiled, but it looked forced and not Jace like. "I missed you." I jumped a little at that, shocked he would admit it. "Hey, don't look so surprised. You're not _that_ bad. And we're friends, right?" _Just go ahead and jab a pencil through my heart while you're at it, Jace_ , I thought.

"Yeah… friends." I hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to go ahead and be an idiot. "So, I was gonna grab some Chinese and Netflix the rest of my Friday night away. You wanna join? That is, if you don't have some blonde hottie waiting for you at a club somewhere?" He laughed loudly. I found myself liking the laugh, despite myself.

"Sure, why not?" he said, still chuckling.

When Izzy arrived home the next morning, she found Jace sleeping on one side of the sectional with my head on his chest. And the fucking smile she flashed me as I opened my eyes was distressing. She cocked her head, beckoning me to her bedroom. I slowly slipped off of Jace and followed her.

"Yes Izzy?" I asked with an irritated glare in her direction.

"You and Jace were snuggling, Clare." I felt my cheeks redden – whether it was from embarrassment or anger I wasn't sure. A little huff escaped my mouth. "Seriously, Clary, you two are so in love."

"No, Izzy. We're not. Just last night he reaffirmed that we are _friends_." I spat the word with more venom than I intended. "Plus, he's not exactly the monogamy type. So even if I did, hypothetically, have feelings, they wouldn't matter. He's got girls all over him all the time. Remember, I've seen him in his element."

Izzy rolled her eyes at me. "Clary, Alec says he hasn't brought a girl home since that night at Pandemonium." I tried to hold in my surprise, but I'm pretty sure she noticed. "He's been home every night. Since the engagement party, he hasn't even mentioned another girl."

"So you and Alec have been discussing this then? Are you two living my love life now, Iz? Because as far as I knew, I was making those decisions. I guess I was wrong." I didn't mean it to come out so snarky, but it did. Hell, I was pissed. I didn't want or need Izzy and Alec meddling in my non-existent love life.

There was a quiet knock. "Sorry to interrupt," came a mumbled voice as Izzy's bedroom door opened. Jace, in all of his sleep – induced, disheveled glory, was standing there, wiping his eyes, clearly trying to wake up. "But do you have any coffee? I have to head into work in a bit, and I'd love to have a little bit of energy first." I nodded, leaving Izzy in her room to lead Jace to the kitchen. Luckily, he seemed to pick up on the fact that I didn't want to talk about whatever happened between me and Izzy – he silently searched for cups as I started the coffee machine.

"You have to work on a Saturday morning?" He nodded, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, we have a big case coming up for trial soon, and the partners have asked me to organize some of the depos to impeach some trial witnesses and maybe answer some interrogatories."

"You realize I have zero idea what you just said, right?"

"Yeah, I figured. It's boring anyway, trust me." I bit my lip, debating whether to ruin our comfortable exchange by mentioning important news. I decided to bite the bullet and do it. I poured him a cup of coffee and then pulled the trigger.

"So, I uh, might as well tell you while you're here. Camille and her entire bridal party, along with her mom and my mom, is coming up here in a week to go dress shopping at Kleinfield's."

Jace's brows furrowed. "Kleinfeld's?" I let loose a giggle. I forget he didn't speak girl like Iz and Magnus, or even Simon and Alec (although that was forced due to their lovers' interests in such things).

"It's this fancy bridal store. Ever heard of the TV show _Say Yes to the Dress_? It's the store on the show. Anyhow, I just wanted to tell you that… _she_ will be here." His face immediately changed, losing the tired innocence it had before.

"Oh." He was biting his lip, eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his coffee cup. "Okay."

"I just wanted to let you know. It will be fine, though – I'll be fine. Anyhow, it's getting late. You should probably get to the office." He gave me a tight hug (and my heart rate did not speed up) before leaving. Careful to avoid Izzy, I made my way into my bedroom to go back to sleep.

The following Saturday, I was sitting on a white sofa inside Kleinfeld's trying not to kill my future sister-in-law and her friends as they fawned over wedding gown after wedding gown. Seriously, it was a dress she was going to wear once. Pick one and move on. What was so hard about that? Cami arrived with her mom, my mom, and her friends Aline, Seelie, and Jessie and immediately wedding hysteria began. It was exhausting trying to smile through the frustration. Add to that the facts that I actually had to tolerate Aline, things with Izzy were still tense, and I hadn't seen Jace since our movie night because of his case and I was seriously on edge. Texting was not a substitute for his presence apparently.

Finally, after hours, Cami decided to take a break from looking at dresses for a few minutes. I was sitting there, minding my own business, when Aline sat down next to me, trying to act all innocent. Bitch.

"Hey, Clary." I nodded, acknowledging her existence, which was success in my book, considering I wanted to throw up and beat her ass at the same time. "Sooo, you and Jace, huh? He's a hot piece of ass, too bad that didn't last. You're welcome for my leftovers." I noticed my hands balled into tight fists, the knuckles turning white.

"Yeah, well, I guess he's moved on from slut." _Breathe, Clary. Breathe. You can't punch her at your almost sister-in-law's bridal gown hunt._ I just kept reciting it to myself over and over.

"I guess he's not nearly as exciting now. Having a sister kill herself will do that to a guy, right?" My breath hitched. _How dare she?_ I jumped up, trying with everything I had to _not_ kill her.

"You have a lot of nerve, Aline. I mean, who the fuck do you think you are? I _know_ what happened! You're a psychotic bitch." She smirked at me as she stood and moved closer to me. I wanted to murder her. I barely noticed my mom, Camille, and the rest of the group watching us, politely trying not to stare or get involved.

"Sweetie, Jace is a liar with severe emotional problems. Maybe you shouldn't trust him so much just because he's a good fuck." That was it. I reeled back and released a punch, hitting her with a right hook to her jaw. My knuckles hissed as my hand recoiled, protesting the abnormal pain throbbing down to my bones. Before Aline could even react, my mom and Camille were standing in between us, pushing me towards the exit.

"I can't fucking believe this? Why aren't you kicking her out? She's a fucking _murderer_!" I stared at Cami, disgusted that she could ever consider that bitch her friend. I was still fighting in my mom's arms to get back in there and beat Aline's ass.

"Clary, please, calm down!" My mom was yelling. _So unladylike. So not Jocelyn._ "Call Jace, please Camille," my mom directed, handing Cami the phone she'd taken from my hand. "He needs to come get her." Cami nodded and walked away.

"Did you know?" I asked my mom.

"Know what?"

"What Aline did? I know you're friends with her family. Did you know?" I hissed, suddenly fearing above all else that my mom was _defending that monster._

"That she dated Jace? Of course, she told us after your startling exit from the engagement party. Is there something else?" I shook my head. My mom can't lie to save her soul… if she denied knowing anything else, there was nothing else she knew. Cami made her way back over to us.

"Jocelyn, would you mind giving Clary and I a minute? Jace is on his way to pick her up." She handed me back my phone. My mom nodded, hugging me briefly before going to join the others. I sat down on the bench outside of the store, my heartbeat slowing at the thought of Jace coming. Cami sat down next to me, sighing slightly.

"She's a bitch, but she's my cousin." Huh?

"What?"

"Aline – she's my cousin. My mom's sister's daughter. That's the only reason I've put up with her all these years."

"Oh… I didn't know that. Do you know what happened… with Cecily Herondale, I mean?" I asked.

"Um, yeah. I do."

Suddenly I was flooded with questions that maybe Camille could answer. Why wasn't Aline in jail? Why had her family, especially sweetheart Camille, not disowned her? How did I not know that the two of them were related?

"I can't answer your questions, Clary." I guess she saw the confusion in my expression, because she continued. "That's really up to Jace. But I just wanted to say he's a good guy. I didn't have the chance to tell you that before, at the shower. He's been through horrible things but still managed to be great. I needed you to know my opinion – that I am totally 'Team Jace.' And I'll talk to Aline about at least not being a total bitch to you."

"I appreciate that, Camille." Jace's voice rang clearly behind us and I won't deny it, my pulse sped up a bit. Cami and I got up to greet him, before Cami said she'd see me later for dinner with our moms and went back in to greet the party and explain that I was leaving. I turned to Jace.

"Hi," he said, running his hands through his golden hair. He seemed upset about something. Was it me? Aline? Work? I found myself wanting to smooth the frown line formed in between his eyes, but was able to restrain myself.

"Hi," I mirrored, sounding super awkward. Friends can be super awkward, right? "So, uh, I almost beat the shit out of Aline. Got one good punch in." And he smiled.

"I heard. I guess we have a lot to talk about… Dinner?" I nodded, following Jace to the Mexican restaurant down the street. We _did_ have a lot to talk about.


	7. Chapter 7

**All rights to TMI go to Cassie Clare. Thanks for your positive feedback for the last chapter, I appreciate it! Something crazy happened with the formatting of this chapter, so thanks to the reviewers who let me know - I re-uploaded it. Naturally, the one time I trust FF to upload correctly because I'm in too much of a rush to check it, it is all messed up.**

 ** _I want to say that bullying is never, ever okay or acceptable - I don't care what the circumstances are. People don't deserve to be demeaned, teased, or treated badly. If you see it, do something. Speak up. And if you or someone you care about are struggling, reach out for help - from parents, siblings, friends, teachers, strangers, or professionals - from anyone. People care, I promise. In this chapter, a reality is faced. Many bullies never face consequences by schools, police, etc. And that sucks - it definitely shouldn't be that way, despite the fact that it often is. But don't worry, I'm sure Aline will get hers in this story!_**

We sat at a dimly lit table in the back of the restaurant. Before I even spoke, I ordered a desperately needed margarita. Jace was staring at me, clearly waiting for me to start the conversation.

"So, is the trial over? How were you able to leave?" He hadn't really been around since our movie night the previous week because of the trial and I'd missed him, despite my mental protests otherwise.

"The jury began deliberating this morning – yeah, there is court on a Saturday – New York City has 6 day court week. I was just waiting around with the other attorneys on the team for a verdict. As long as I have my cell phone in case the jury comes back, it's fine for me to leave. So it was actually a good time for you to lose your temper," he said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes, sipping my drink. "You gonna tell me what happened?"

"That psychotic bitch happened!" Just thinking about Aline made my blood boil.

"What did she say?"

"She… she said I was only with you because you were a good fuck. She, uh, mentioned your sister. And some other nasty things about you. So I gave her a right hook she won't soon forget just like my Uncle Luke taught me to."

"You didn't have to defend me or my family, you know. I'm a big boy." His golden eyes were wide and sincere.

"I don't doubt you are." I smirked at him. "But she's lucky I only punched her. I was so on edge and she just pushed me right past my limit. I mean, between fighting with Izzy – you remember the text conversation you and I had a few days ago, well it's _still_ tense and awkward with her – and not seeing you I was totally on the edge of losing it before she opened her big fat mouth."

"Not seeing me set you on edge?" I could hear the tinge of laughter in his voice. He was trying really hard to control it though. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as I nodded. "Good… I missed you too, Red." The blush got even deeper as I grinned and his smile widened.

"I also didn't know that she and Cami are cousins… Aline, I mean. They're related. Did you know that?"

He shook his head. "Nope, I only met Camille a couple of times when she came to visit. But I guess that explains why such a nice girl hangs out with such a lunatic."

I bit my lip, wondering if I should try to dig deeper into his past with Aline. I decided to ask when my curiosity got the better of my sense of decorum. "So, I um, I have this question. And I think it may be rude for me to ask, and it may upset you, so I don't know whether to ask it or not…"

"Why didn't Aline get in trouble for what happened with Cecily?" I nodded. I swear, sometimes I think he can read my mind. "Well, my _parents_ ," he said the word with such disgust that I nearly flinched, "didn't want to cause a ' _scene'_ so they didn't press the issue with the school. And when I brought the letters to the police, there was no law on the books protecting against that type of behavior. Basically, when she did what she did, it wasn't illegal, just disgusting and heinous. That's why I became a lawyer, to help change the laws to protect others from people like Aline… bullies with no moral compass. People who don't feel bad for ruining, or even ending, other peoples' lives.

"I ended up temporarily at a firm, but I'm leaving in March to become a prosecutor for the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. And I'm thrilled that recently a law was passed making it a felony to bully and cyberbully a person into committing suicide. I did some pro bono work helping create the legislation. With my grandmother's help, I founded the Cecily Foundation to raise awareness of the issue."

I was in awe. If it had been me, and Jon had died because of Aline, I'm pretty sure I'd be rotting in jail at that very moment for killing her with my bare hands. The fact that Jace was able to channel that pain and hurt to do a bigger good was amazing.

"Wow." I couldn't keep the amazement out of my voice. "I can't even lie, that's kind of amazing. Like, really amazing." His cheeks and ears got pink.

"Thanks," he mumbled, uncharacteristically humble. When our food arrived, we ate happily, talking about less serious subjects such as the awful wedding dresses Camille tried on and Alec's latest late-night rendezvous with Magnus (in Jace's kitchen). When the meal was over, it was well past 7 pm and Jace checked his email before informing me that the jury had been sent home until Monday. Then he invited me over to hang out, since Alec was on vacation with Magnus. I accepted – I didn't have anything better to do, since I'd missed seeing my mom and Cami already (I texted them and said they we'd meet for brunch tomorrow instead). A night hanging out with Jace sounded really great.

I'd been to the apartment many times with Alec and Izzy, but I'd never been there with Jace, and it all felt unfamiliar suddenly. I shifted my weight from foot to foot as Jace led me to the kitchen to gather popcorn and beer for our movie night. Movie night was turning into a weekly tradition, apparently.

As we settled in and began some comedy that I wasn't really interested in, my thoughts drifted to Jace. In such a short period of time, he'd become one of my best friends. He seemed to just understand me. And I had to admit that he wasn't the arrogant playboy that I thought he was when we met. I _maybe_ had a teeny, tiny, miniscule crush on him. Maybe. When I took the risk to glance at him, I saw that he was already staring at me, a contemplative look on his face.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, blushing.

"Do you ever think about that night we kissed?" Well that was random.

"What?" I was admittedly startled.

"The kiss – do you ever think about it?"

"… No." I lied through my teeth. I thought about that damn kiss all the time. But it was for the best.

He paused the movie and looked at me with appraising eyes. "You're lying." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "Want to know how I know you're lying?" I nodded. "I think about it every fucking day. I dream about it. I've been trying so hard to be your friend. I didn't want to scare you off – I know you ' _don't_ _do relationships_.' But I really, really like you, Clary." His hand ran through his long blond hair, messing it up adorably.

After a minute or two of complete silence, I finally responded. "Jace, I don't even know what to say." _Clever, Clary, very clever._ He moved even closer to me, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Just tell me the truth."

"I… I do think about it. But you've become one of my best friends, and I don't want to lose that."

His eyebrows knitted together adorably. "It could be worth it, you know. To take that risk." He moved so close that our knees were touching. His hand raised and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ears. I felt his breath fanning my face. "We could… try." Then he leaned in further, pressing his soft lips to mine. All argument for why being with Jace wasn't right flew from my mind. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, making me moan with want as I crawled onto his lap and straddled him. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer and ensuring that our hips met sensually.

When we finally broke apart, Jace leaned his forehead against mine. We were both breathing hard, our hearts stuttering. His eyes smoldered with lust – his normally tawny eyes were nearly black with desire. "I want you," I mumbled, and he just stared at me, running his hands up and down my spine under my shirt. Then his lips met mine again.

We broke apart only for a few seconds for Jace to slide my shirt over my head. His tongue ran across my neck and down to my collarbone, which he then began peppering with kisses. I released my hands from around his neck and reached behind myself to unhook my bra before slipping it down my arms.

His hands went to my chest, kneading my breasts with just enough pressure before twisting my hardened nipples between his fingers. I was grinding down at the perfect angle, ensuring that his cock rubbed my clit deliciously through my pants. His mouth made its way down my body, circling each nipple in turn as we continued grinding against each other. The familiar pressure building in my stomach was welcome as we broke apart so I could slip Jace's shirt off. Within seconds, we were chest to chest again. My breasts dragged against his hard, muscled chest. I was experiencing sensory overload. My clit was being rubbed with each move we made against each other and my nipples were teasingly rubbing against Jace's chest hair.

I was becoming even more turned on the longer I sat on Jace's lap. He was angling his hips just right, ensuring that his erection was rubbing me at the perfect angle constantly. My breathing began to get harder as he pinched my nipples and brought his mouth to my pulse point, sucking hard. I'd definitely have a bruise there. _Totally worth it_. The tension coiled in my body as our hips continued to meet.

"Jace," I moaned, unable to restrain myself as his grinding motion sped up. I felt myself getting close, so close.

"Come, Clary," he whispered in my ear before licking it sensually and speeding up the movements of his hips against mine. And I lost it – the tension in my body finally released as my orgasm hit. My grinding motion faltered but he continued, ensuring that he stimulated my clit with each move until I sagged in his lap, my arms tight around his neck and my naked upper body close to his.

"Fuck Jace, I've never been dry humped to orgasm before." I was still catching my breath.

"I guess I'm just that awesome," he teased with a smile.

I slid off of his lap, moving to unbutton his pants, hoping to return the favor. I knew he had to be in incredible pain. I could feel how hard he was beneath me. Before I could slide my hand into his boxers, he grabbed my wrist.

"No, Clary. I'm fine. This was about you. I can be so good to you, baby. Just let me." His eyes were burning into mine. And there we were, staring at each other on his sofa, half naked. I felt tears prickling the corners of my eyes. Goddamn emotions. I was overwhelmed.

"Jace, I, uh, I can't do this right now. I need to think. Please, just give me some time to think." He nodded as I got up, searching for my bra and shirt before placing them back on my body. I was looking for my purse, planning on leaving, when his hand landed on my arm.

"Just don't… don't leave Clary." The sincerity and despair in his eyes hit me right in the gut and I assented, nodding my agreement before curling up next to him again. A while later, through the grogginess of sleep that I was fighting, I felt Jace lift me up and carry me into his bed.

When I woke up, Jace was asleep next to me and I was curled into his side. He was snoring softly, and I couldn't help but study him. He was so at peace, so serene. The hint of tension that I always noticed on his face when he was awake wasn't there. My heart swelled as took him in. I loved him, I knew I did. But I couldn't open my heart to him – I just wasn't capable of doing that. As much as I wanted it to work, it wouldn't, and then we would both be destroyed. And our friendship would be ruined. I couldn't handle that. So I did what I do best… I left.

When I entered my apartment only a few minutes later, Izzy was in the kitchen making a cup of coffee. "I almost slept with Jace, and he said he wanted to be with me," I said, plopping down at the kitchen table. Izzy's eyes widened before she abandoned her coffee and sat next to me, just looking at me with a skeptical look on her face. "And also I'm sorry and I really need you right now." I sighed and then the waterworks started. I was crying. Fuck my life.

Izzy leaned in and hugged me close. "It's okay, Clare. I promise. What happened?" After I told her the entire story, which happened over coffee and donuts, she finally spoke.

"Well, I think you're being an idiot." I glared at her. Seriously, we just made up and she is already being bitchtastic. I guess my glare was a sign for her to continue, because she just kept talking. "Seriously, you have a hot, rich, successful, caring and passionate guy that is completely in love with you and isn't afraid to take a risk with you. And you're willing to have sex with him, but won't give him a real chance. It's a bitch move, Clary. Do you know how many people would kill for Jace to look at them the way he looks at you?" I just sat there staring at my cup of coffee until I had to get ready to go out with my mom, Cami, and her mom.

Throughout the brunch, I was clearly distracted. Luckily, Cami seemed to get that something was going on with Jace and she deflected. I'd never been so grateful to have an almost sister-in-law in my life. After making it through the lunch, and ensuring my mom that Jace and I would be attending the wedding shower in a couple of weeks, I practically ran home, mentally exhausted and confused. I checked my phone – there was nothing, not even a teasing text message.

With the pang in my heart, I finally realized something I'd been denying for too long. I couldn't go on like this. I loved Jace, and I wanted to be with him. I picked up the phone to call him, when there was a knock on the door.


	8. Chapter 8

**Cassie Clare still owns the characters. I couldn't resist some sassy, COHF-style Alec in this chapter. I hope you enjoy! Also, remember as you read that the characters are out of character in this fic. Thanks for all of your reviews, they mean a lot to me.**

 **To the people that have PMed me or reviewed about waiting too long… listen, I write when the inspiration strikes. I also have a life outside of FF. On the whole I am good about updating quickly – but you know, things happen in life and I've been busy. So have a little understanding.**

I answered the door in a huff, pissed that my great epiphany had been interrupted by… Alec? "Hey Alec, I thought you were on vacation with Mags? What's up?" I greeted him, letting him into the apartment.

"I _was_ on vacation– we got home a few hours ago – Magnus is out with Izzy right now. And what's up? Seriously? That's all you have to say? I come home to one of my best friends basically sinking into a massive depression, see a freaking post it note with _sorry_ written on it in your handwriting and come here to have you ask me what's up! Jesus, Clary, get it together." He seemed angry. It was unfamiliar – Alec is usually the mellow man that blends into the background, so I was a bit taken aback by the whole situation. "Listen," he continued, with a sigh. "I'm the closest thing you have to a brother in New York – I've known you forever. So I consider myself as standing in Jon's place when I tell you to get your head out of your ass and stop being a bitch."

My mouth was hanging open, watching him pace the room as he ranted. I couldn't even speak, couldn't defend myself. I was too shocked. So I just let him keep ranting.

"Jace is my closest friend besides Jon. He deserves someone who cares about him. Did you know he's been in love with you for _months_? Ever since we went out all that time ago, he said there was just something about you… Why else do you think a successful attorney who comes from New York City royalty would pretend to be your boyfriend for a thousand dollars? Like seriously? Did you not even question it?" He huffed a final time before sitting down on the sofa, clearly exhausted from the lashing he just gave me.

"I…I…" Alec raised his hand to silence me. The shock must have registered on my face, since his face softened tremendously.

"God, you really _are_ an idiot. I thought Izzy was exaggerating the situation. Listen, I'm meeting Magnus, Izzy, and Simon for dinner, so swing by my apartment and visit the moping man. He should be there, lurking in his bathrobe and boxers, eating his weight in cereal while pretending you didn't crush his heart because he's too much of a manly man to be upset. I've gotta go, before Magnus hits me with one of his shopping bags." He gave me a tight hug, which I returned. I realized after he'd already left that I didn't even get a word in with him. Magnus really was rubbing off on him.

As I dragged myself to Jace and Alec's apartment, the panic set in. Was I doing the right thing? What was I getting myself into? It was terrifying. After a couple of deep breaths, I knocked on the door. And a woman answered. A woman who looked a lot like Jace. Behind her, I saw Jace gasp and make his way over to the foyer quickly, ushering me in without a greeting.

"Clary, you have excellent timing. This is my mother, Celine Herondale. Mother, this is Clarissa Morgenstern, my girlfriend." He gave me an imploring look, silently begging me to play along. I figured it was the least I could do for the hell I caused him.

"Hello, Mrs. Herondale. I've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to meet you." I offered her my hand, which she took briefly. The woman was dressed to the nines, including a grey pantsuit, pearls, and heels. On a Sunday evening. Whatever. It seemed like she was preparing to leave since she was holding her purse and standing next to the door.

"Jonathan, I'm terribly disappointed that you did not inform me about this girl," she said without further acknowledging my existence. What. A. Bitch. "She must come to dinner on Wednesday."

"We'll see, Mother. Clarissa is a business owner and is quite busy this time of year. I will let you know, though. It was a pleasure, as always. Give Father my well wishes and I will see you Wednesday." He leaned over, kissing his mother on the cheek and ushering her out of the apartment. He let out a deep breath as the door closed behind her. Clearly, it had been an uncomfortable visit. I couldn't blame him, I mean, at least my parents aren't _robots_.

"You're here." That was all he said. He didn't even try to say thank you for whatever the hell had just happened – not that I deserved it. I nodded.

"Yep, I'm here." And we just stood there, staring at each other. He was clearly waiting for me to speak and I was trying to muster up the courage to do so.

"Wanna sit?" I nodded, following him to the living room. I tried not to think about the last time I was in that room. After a few more minutes, Jace finally broke the silence. "You going to tell me why you're here?"

"I've been, uh, thinking." I couldn't even look at him, so I stood up, staring out the window at the Manhattan skyline. "And, I realized something. I can't imagine _not_ being with you. And I care about you. And… I want to try." As soon as the words were out, it was like the wind blew out of me – I felt deflated. It had been a horrifyingly long, emotional day. And I was determined to stay stoic and unaffected. Who knew if Jace would even want me after everything I put him through.

But then I felt an arm around my waist, turning me around. And I came face to face with Jace, his eyes burning brightly with something that looked a lot like love. But it was _way too soon_ to say those three words out loud. Before I knew what was happening, his lips were meeting mine in a flurry of passion. Far too soon for my liking, Jace pulled away, his forehead staying against mine and his arms still wrapped around my waist.

"Let me take you on a date." His voice was husky and soft.

"Okay," I whispered without a second thought. "Tonight?"

He chuckled. "How about tomorrow? It's a three day weekend for me, it turns out that the court's are closed because of some random holiday, it's like I was meant to have a day off of work tomorrow just for a date. Can you miss work?"

"Sure, sounds good – I just have to clear it with Iz, but I'm sure she won't mind. So… does this make you my boyfriend, for real?" His smile only widened, and I found myself smiling too.

"Well, that's up to you. I mean, I'm not really a relationship kind of guy, butttt I guess I could make an exception," he teased with a wink, leading me to slap his shoulder. His laughter rang through the room, filling me with a familiar sense of calm that I always had with him. "But you really should snap me up, I'm a hot commodity." I found myself running my hands through his silky hair and dragging his lips back to mine.

"Okay, okay, well in that case, I guess I'm gonna be stuck with you, cause I _will_ cut a bitch," I murmured right before our lips met again.

Waking up with Jace this time was a very new experience. His bare chest rubbed against my back tantalizingly and his hand skimmed my stomach, but I could tell by his soft, slow breaths that he was still asleep. This time, instead of panicking, I sighed with contentment before sliding out of his arms to get a cup of coffee. I slid his tee shirt over myself and made my way to the kitchen, where I found Alec sitting at the breakfast bar, reading the newspaper.

"Where's Mags?" I asked. He jolted, slightly spilling his coffee.

"Shit, Clarissa. Could you not scare the crap out of me before ten am? And Mags is still sleeping – he needs his beauty sleep. I'm just getting ready to head into work."

"I thought you and Jace had the day off?"

"I'm in corporate. I don't get the day off just because court is closed unfortunately. Anyhow, I'm glad you two kissed and made up."

I smiled at him. "Me too. Thanks Alec. I'll make sure to tell Jon that you're a damn good substitute big brother." He got up and embraced me, hugging me close.

"No, don't do that. Wouldn't want him to be jealous." He kissed my forehead and disappeared into his room again.

I settled into the barstool with my cup of coffee and read the paper. I don't know how long I sat there, relaxing, before strong arms wrapped around me tightly and soft lips kissed my neck.

"I thought you'd left," Jace admitted against my neck. I turned in his arms.

"Not a chance." I smiled before leaning in to kiss him. The kiss got heated quickly, his hands roaming to my hips, dragging the tee shirt up.

"Children, please. It is too early in the morning to witness such blatant displays of mating. At least when _my_ sexypants isn't here." I heard Jace groan against my neck before pulling away. "Good morning my dears. So glad you two have seen the light," Magnus said while maneuvering around us to get coffee. I turned to Jace, ignoring Magnus' antics.

"I have to get to work and talk to Izzy. What time do you want to pick me up?"

"How's 3 pm sound?"

"Perfect." I grabbed my purse off the counter before kissing him on the cheek. "See ya then." I started to make my way to the door when I felt Jace grab me. I turned around. "What's wrong – don't want me to leave?"

He smiled. "No I don't. But I know you have to. However, I _would_ be a tiny pit pissed if you went walking through Brooklyn in nothing but my tee shirt. In January. Although I'm sure every straight man between here and your store would be immensely grateful."

I blushed. "Oh…right. Clothes." I heard Magnus chuckling from behind the refrigerator door as I ran to get dressed. Then whispering between Magnus and Jace. By the time I came out of Jace's bedroom again, they were silent. Jace was sitting on the sofa and Magnus was gone. I sat next to Jace and his arm immediately went around my shoulder. It felt… strange. Strange but also nice.

"I really do need to leave, Jace," I said, reluctantly giving up my place next to him. "I'll see you at 3." I kissed his lips briefly and left.

By the time I made it to _Secondhand Serenade_ , I realized how comfortable and normal the morning with Jace had been. He made me relaxed, happy even. And that was strange. Entering the back office, I saw Izzy balancing the books in the back office.

"Hey Iz, I was wondering if I could leave early today?"

She smiled at me. "You never leave early. Usually, you're the one staying late. You're _such_ a workaholic, btw. What's up?"

"I may or may not have a date with Jace at three o'clock." Her smile turned into a full on grin as she squealed and jumped out of her chair to hug me.

"Oh my god, Clary, what are you going to wear?!" Izzy screamed as she sat back down. Thank goodness we were in the back office and the door was closed. "I'll run home at lunch and pick something up for you. No worries.

Luckily, I was distracted all day by several difficult customers, a couple of special orders and antiquity searches, and Izzy's constant babbling. So when she forced me to change into a beautiful, pink sundress and silver flats I was shocked to find that it was already 1 pm. After fixing up my makeup and hair, I was left to sit in my chair shaking while waiting for Jace. I hadn't been nervous before a date… ever. Until now. At three, I was sitting on the sofa in the coffee shop, waiting for Jace, hesitantly optimistic about what was to come.

 **Well, they are officially together. Next chapter will be the first date, meeting the parents and (possibly) the next wedding event, I think. I just got a new job so, like I said in the top author's note, live is in the way of my writing right now. Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner rather than later, but no promises.**


	9. Chapter 9

**As usual, I own nothing but the plot. Enjoy and please review!**

Jace showed up right on time, with a smile on his face and a red rose in his hand. And he looked _amazing_. His dark dress slacks and baby blue oxford shirt brought out his lean muscles and golden skin. His hair was slicked back but still artfully messy, with a few pieces hanging over his forehead. As he made his way over to me everything, even the chaos of the store and the appraising glances from women that he was getting, slipped away. And when he wrapped his arm around me and kissed me deeply, I didn't care if I the world around us ever returned; all I needed was Jace.

"Hey," he said as he leaned his forehead against mine and separated our lips.

"Hi," I whispered back.

"Okay, you two are disgusting. Please leave my place of business… now!" Izzy teased, ushering us out the door and into the cold January afternoon. Jace took my hand and led me away. When I asked where we were going, he said it was a surprise. Before long, we were in Williamsburg, at the Brooklyn Art Library. I'd never been there; I assumed it was a library with a focus on art. I know, I'm clever.

"Have you ever been here before?" Jace asked me. I shook my head. "I think you'll like it." Curious, I allowed him to lead me inside the beautiful building. Inside, there was a lively soundtrack playing – strange for a library. As we walked, I noticed that the shelves were lined with books, but not normal books. They were… were they sketchbooks?

"Yeah, they are," Jace replied, smiling at me. Apparently, I'd questioned out loud. "Go take a look, I've got to talk to the librarian for a second, okay?" When I nodded, already lost in the atmosphere around me, he walked away.

I got lost in some of the sketchbooks, full of beautiful works of art. Sketches, watercolors, everything I could ever imagine. I was enamored; I couldn't believe that I'd been in New York for six years and passed this block every week but never went inside the building. I didn't even notice when Jace sat next to me at the table, a large sketchbook in his hand.

"What's that one?" I asked. He handed it to me and when I opened it, I saw that it was blank. I furrowed my brows in confusion, looking to Jace for an explanation.

"Everyone that comes here can make their own contribution to the library. I thought it would cool for the two of us to make a sketchbook together." Immediately, we got started. Before I knew it, hours had passed and we filled the entire book with my sketches, finger paints that Jace had brought with, and a couple of inspiring quotes. When we felt like it looked decent, we handed it in to be laminated and archived. I for one was very proud of our work. As we left hand in hand, I couldn't stop smiling. It had honestly been one of the best dates I'd ever been on. Jace really thought about what _I_ would like and came up with something new and different that was just my style. I mean, art and books, how much more _me_ could it get?

Outside, I pulled on his hand. When we were within an inch of each other, I tugged on his shirt and, as soon as his mouth was within reaching distance (damn being short), I kissed him with all I had. "This was the best date ever," I said as we separated.

"It isn't over yet," he replied, running his hand down my cheek. We ended up at my absolute favorite hole in the wall Thai restaurant. Clearly, Jace had found out what I liked from Izzy. He was really pulling out all the stops. It was great; Jace was great. And as he walked me home, I couldn't help but feel giddy. Everything felt so _right_. When we got to my door, I was actually nervous, which was totally unlike me. We just stood there, awkwardly staring at each other, hands intertwined.

"You want to come in?" I asked.

"I can't. As much as I want to. I promised Alec I'd help him with a work thing and it's already pushing eleven." He leaned down, his nose brushing mine. When he kissed me, I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck and ran my tongue along his lips. He opened his mouth with a surprised grunt, spinning us until my back was against the wall and his arms caged me in. My hands carded through his hair tugging on the ends as his went to my ass, silently telling me to jump. When I did, he picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his hips. The heat was getting unbearable and I broke away from Jace's lips.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to come in?" I said, biting my lower lip.

He groaned. "Trust me, I really, really want to…" He punctuated the statement with a roll of his hips, sending a shiver through my body. Clearly he _wanted_ something. "But I can't. Come with me on Wednesday, though, to see my parents. Its just dinner, and I'd really like you to be there."

"Okay," I whispered before bringing my lips back to his and rolling my hips into him. With a growl, he was kissing me with more passion and fire than ever before. Just as I was sure he was getting close to coming inside (god, did I need him to _come inside_ ), a throat was cleared behind us and we broke apart.

"You guys are seriously dry humping in the hallway? What are we in ninth grade again?" Izzy said, unlocking the front door. Jace released me from his grasp and my feet fell to the floor. "Thank goodness Si and I are never like that."

I laughed, my arms wrapped around Jace's waist. "Oh please, I found you guys going at it outside the building once. _You were literally standing on the sidewalk_. Thank god it was dark outside." She blushed and entered the apartment. "I'll see you Wednesday?" I asked, turning to Jace.

"Yep, I'll pick you up." He smiled brightly and pecked me on the lips before leaving. For a second, I just stood there, smiling and twirling the rose. Until Izzy told me to get my ass inside, which snapped me out of my haze.

Jace and I didn't see each other on Tuesday, which just increased my anticipation and nerves about family dinner. When Wednesday night rolled around, I was standing nervously in my living room, fidgeting with the expensive sheath dress that Izzy forced me to buy for the occasion. It was "a respectable length, but still alluring" as Izzy put it. I was afraid the deep purple color would clash with my hair, but it actually looked nice. Of course… I should have just admitted Iz knew what the hell she was doing instead of fighting her the whole time. But whatever, I never needed to tell her that.

I was so nervous, mostly because I don't _do_ families. Especially not after one date. But then again, Jace wasn't exactly like my previous boyfriends and it definitely hadn't only been one date. "I can't do this…" I moaned to Izzy, near tears. We were sitting on the sofa, waiting for Jace to come pick me up.

"Yes. You. Can. And don't you dare cry, I will kill you if you mess up your makeup."

"I've literally _never_ met a guy's family. And we've only been on one date. This is stupid. I'm going to call and cancel." As I picked up my phone, Izzy grabbed it and threw it onto the coffee table. Then she took my chin between her hands, forcing me to look at her.

"No, you're not canceling. Clary, you're different with him than any other guy, maybe because you guys were friends first. You _like_ him, maybe even love him. So you _are_ going tonight. And you are going to have fun, or at least pretend to and then complain with Jace about how horrible his parents are. Then the two of you will come here to this _empty_ apartment – yeah, I'm gonna stay at Simon's place, you're welcome – and have crazy hot sex with your _boyfriend_. Got it?" I just nodded, unable to speak. Those Lightwood siblings had really been kicking my ass lately (what would I do without them?).

When Jace showed up, my heart sped up. He was still wearing his suit from work and I couldn't help but pull him by the tie to latch my lips to his (thank god for high heels!). He looks really, really good in suits. So sue me, I think my boyfriend is hot. His arms wrapped around me, one hand rubbing my lower back soothingly. "So," he whispered as we separated. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how nervous are you?"

"An 11," I said after hesitating for a moment. I wasn't about to lie to him. He helped me into my coat and wrapped my scarf around my neck. "Bye Iz!" I shouted as we readied.

"It will be okay. My parents are kind of the worst people on the planet, but I promise I'll protect you."

"My hero," I swooned sarcastically as we left the apartment and made our way downstairs. He chuckled, but still squeezed by hand tighter. It turns out he'd gotten a car for the evening, which I was so grateful for considering my heels. When we arrived at the Herondale's Upper East Side townhouse, I was once again shaking. But Jace wrapped his arm around me, calming me without words.

They had staff. Like, my parents were wealthy but they didn't have _employees_ at home. I guess considering how big their house was, it was necessary. As the butler helped Jace and I remove our coats, Mrs. Herondale arrived in the foyer.

"Ah, Clarissa, I am so pleased you could make it. Could you and Jonathan, please join us in the dining room? I hope you like duck." She turned away and left before I could even respond. Jace's hand reached out to me and wrapped around mine. It seemed like he was as nervous as I was when he took a deep breath and slowly started walking. I noticed the huge portrait of Jace and a girl I assumed was Cecily over the fireplace in the formal living room. She really was beautiful, with light blonde curls and Jace's amber eyes.

"My mother hates nicknames, you'll never get her to call you Clary, don't even try."

"Father, Mother," Jace greeted formally. His parents were seated at either end of a long table. Jace escorted me to my seat and pulled my chair out before sitting beside me. Such a gentleman.

"Jonathan," his father greeted coolly. Immediately after we sat down, the first course was served. For a while, we ate in silence. I just took turns looking at Jace and then each of his parents. Celine was eating quietly and Stephen was checking his phone between bites.

Finally, Celine Herondale broke the silence as we finished eating. "I spoke to Marie Whitewillow this past weekend. Did you know Kaelie is returning from Europe next week? Such a lovely girl." I could _feel_ Jace grating his teeth as he stiffened in his chair next from me.

"Yes, she was _great_ ," he nearly choked out. I tried to stifle a laugh.

"She wants to see you, apparently. You should call her. You two were great together."

"Mother, you do realize _Clarissa_ , who is sitting right next to me, is my _girlfriend_ , right?" He grasped for my left hand under the table, holding it tightly. I knew what he was doing; he was silently encouraging me to ignore his mother's insanity. It was fine, I'm a secure person and I certainly wasn't naïve enough to think he'd never dated besides Aline and me.

"Yes, well, for now… but the Whitewillow's are a great family with strong roots here."

"You mean a lot of money."

"Jonathan, don't speak to your mother like that, she just wants you to be with someone appropriate," Stephen interrupted.

"Father, Kaelie was in _rehab_ in Europe. She's a huge coke addict; you know that. And yet you two still insist that she'd be your perfect daughter in law? Clearly you are delusional!" He slammed his fist down on the table and I jumped a bit. "And Clary here is a Morgenstern, as in _Valentine Morgenstern_. Is she still not good enough for you?" His parents were silent, their faces turning towards me. Jace stood and took my hand.

"You ready to leave, babe?" he asked. I didn't know what to say. His parents were literally awful. So I just stood, gathered my bag, and nodded. He stormed out of the house, barely giving us enough time to gather our coats.

"What was _that_?" I asked.

" _That_ was dinner with the Herondales. It's like that pretty much every time. We eat in silence, they criticize or yell. We fight. Then I leave. Welcome to the family!" he said, ushering me into the waiting car. "At least they didn't try to get me together with Aline again."

"They wouldn't do that, would they?"

"Oh, they definitely would. They are awful human beings, Clary. But thank you for coming with me anyway, it meant a lot." I just smiled and leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder as he pulled me closer. When we got back to my apartment, the driver retrieved a suit bag and small duffle bag out of the trunk of the car and handed them to Jace.

"What's that stuff?" I asked as we exited the elevator on my floor.

"I figured that on the off chance that my parents didn't totally ruin the evening, I could maybe stay. If you don't want me to…" he trailed off. Unlocking the door, I grabbed him by the lapel and dragged him inside, taking the luggage and gracelessly tossing it on the floor.

"Yes." That's all I said. Before he even knew what was happening, I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck and kissed him with every fiber of my being. He immediately reacted, sinking into the kiss and opening his mouth. Our tongues swirled around each other as his arms wrapped around my waist. I walked backwards, never letting go of Jace, until we reached my bedroom door. His wandering hands landed on the zipper of my dress, which he hastily undid. I reached backwards, opening the door for us. The dress slid off my body as we separated. Jace quickly removed his suit jacket and tie and began unbuttoning his shirt. Standing there in only my bra and panties, I was beyond turned on. The dampness between my thighs only increased as Jace undid his shirt and finally removed it. Then, he stalked over to me, picked me up gently, and placed me on the bed. His lips found my neck, where he began kissing and sucking. My hands corded through his blond curls.

"I didn't tell you how fucking hot you looked tonight, Clary," Jace said between kisses. His hands traveled to my chest where they played with my nipples through my bra and they immediately hardened into a painful point. I felt him hard and heavy between my legs as he bucked into me.

"Fuck, Jace, I need you." He reached around me and unclasped my bra, which I slid off my arms. As his mouth went to torture my breasts, my hands lowered to his pants, where I unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his pants, pushing them down slightly. My hand slithered into his boxers, gripping his manhood with my hand. He was bigger than I was used to, with a light dusting of hair, and I could tell that he was hard as a rock as he throbbed in my hand. I swiped my thumb over the tip to collect the pre-cum before running my hand up and down it, savoring his moans.

Jace moved to kiss me again as I continued to grasp his erection. His hard body on top of me made me mewl with need. He pulled away from his kiss. "I need to be inside of you."

"What are you waiting for?" I asked. I didn't move my hand from him as his hands trailed down to my hips, where he hooked his thumbs into my panties and pulled them down. As I released him, he slid my panties off my legs and stood for a moment. He quickly took of his pants and boxers before returning to the bed, where he kissed each of my thighs in turn. Then one of his long fingers was pushing inside me slowly. As he thrusted it in and out of me, I gasped with pleasure, my fingers twisting my nipples in time with his thrusts. Soon, another finger joined. And then another. Before I knew what was happening, Jace changed the angle of his fingers, hitting the soft tissue inside of me that had me arching off the bed and screaming with pleasure. The orgasm washed through me in waves as I tensed and then relaxed. Jace removed his fingers and licked them. "Mmmm, so good," he hummed before rising again to kiss my lips.

I could taste myself on his tongue as it entered my mouth and ran along my lips. Within a minute, I was thrusting upward, trying to encourage him to enter me. Frustrated with his slowness, I groaned. He pulled away from my lips to chuckle in my ear.

"You ready, baby?"

"Yes, fuck, Jace, _please_ ," I whined, thrusting up again. He took his cock in his hand and lined up with my entrance. He pushed inside of me quickly and before I knew it he was buried inside me to the hilt. I groaned in pleasure, my nails running down his back and my lips sucking on his neck.

Over and over again he pounded into me and I screamed in pleasure. Never in my entire life could I be described as a screamer. I'd had plenty of sex in my life, but god, it was like Jace was made for me. His pulsing cock was the perfect size to stretch my walls. When he took my legs and put them over his shoulders, he sunk impossibly deeper inside of me and I felt like I was coming apart around him. He kept pushing in and pulling out; his pace was steady and fast. It was indescribable.

"So. Close." I grinded my teeth as I forced out the words. One of his hands came between us, pinching and twisting my bundle of nerves. The tension inside of me kept building as I got closer and closer to the edge. My hands moved to Jace's hair, which I pulled on roughly. And then, suddenly my vision turned white and my ears started ringing. Jace's rhythm faltered as my walls tightened around him and I pulled his hair even harder. "Jace!" I screamed, my back arching off the bed as my orgasm washed over me. He didn't let up, he kept thrusting and pinching and kissing until be was pushing in and out with reckless abandon. The tension in my stomach started to form again as he continued. I knew he was getting close, too.

"No condom," he snapped suddenly. Shit, he was planning on pulling out. Not gonna happen.

"I'm on the pill. Come on Jace, come inside of me. I'm gonna come again, come with me." And he did. Two more thrusts and then he froze inside of me as his pulsing cock released rope after rope of cum. Feeling him frozen on top of me as he came inside of me set me off again, the waves of fire rushing through me as I came for the third time that night.

Eventually, Jace's breathing returned to normal and he pulled out of me, rolling onto his back next to me. "Holy fuck," he murmured.

"I know," I said with a smile. I could feel the fluid dripping out of me and I didn't care as I rolled closer to him, laying my head on his chest. Within minutes, I was sound asleep.

 **Sorry, no wedding events in this chapter. And I didn't get it done before Thanksgiving (does day of Thanksgiving count because it's not midnight yet, so it's still technically Thanksgiving!). But there was smut, so I hope you all aren't too mad at me.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I own nothing but the plot. Enjoy! I'm sorry about the wait. I moved and started a new job. And then I lost all my inspiration to write for a while… but I'm back now, and hopefully there won't be a wait between chapters like that again.**

 ** _I also want to say that bullying is never, ever okay or acceptable - I don't care what the circumstances are. People don't deserve to be demeaned, teased, or treated badly. If you see it, do something. Speak up. And if you or someone you care about are struggling, reach out for help - from parents, siblings, friends, teachers, strangers, or professionals - from anyone. People care, I promise. Also, I am NOT advocating taking measures into your own hands. Ask for help. Please!_**

Waking up to Jace was something I didn't think I'd ever get sick of. Even hearing my alarm blaring didn't dampen my mood. My back was to his chest and our legs were curled together. His chin was resting on my shoulder and his arm was wrapped around my waist. I'd never felt so secure and safe with a man before. Honestly, it terrified me how easy it was to fall for Jace.

I rolled over in his arms to kiss his neck gently. He moaned slightly as his eyes fluttered open. "What time is it?" he whispered.

"Just after seven. We've both got to get to work." He pulled me closer.

"Nope. Let's just stay in bed all day."

"No can do, Mr. Fancypants lawyer. Now, coffee. Then mayyyybeeee I'll let you join me in the shower." With that he got up, threw on his boxers, and went to make coffee. I stretched, my body deliciously sore in all the right places. After sliding on his shirt, I met Jace in the living room. He was munching on some toast and watching the coffee pot. We made breakfast together and had a cup of coffee before having a _very_ cleansing shower together. Running a bit late was totally worth it for that experience. As we both rushed out of the apartment and went our separate ways, I couldn't help but savor the domesticity of it all. Now I knew why Iz always liked to stay with Simon. It's nice waking up next to someone you lo… like and getting to do all those couple-y things with them.

Days passed in much the same way. Izzy and I spent our days working together, had our weekly girls nights, and spent most nights with our boyfriends. We even double dated a few times which was… strange. But I could tell Izzy was hiding something from me. I couldn't put my thumb on it, but there was a hesitancy that was never there before. Until she came to me as I was packing for my brother's wedding shower. We were leaving the next morning and I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to pack. Izzy came into my room all stoic and sat on my bed silently.

"What's up, Iz?" I asked, sitting next to her.

"Okay, so I'm like really nervous right now… so I'm just gonna spill it. Please don't kill me. Simonaskedmetomoveinwithhim."

"What?"

"Simon… he asked me to move in with him." Wow, I was _not_ expecting that one.

"Wow! That's… awesome, Iz. Congrats!"

"You're not angry? I mean, you're gonna have to find a new roommate? Si and I will be just around the corner, but it's not going to be the same."

"Izzy," I started, taking her hand in mine. "You're my best friend and you deserve to be happy. I'll be fine." I tried to be sincere, and I really was happy for her. But it still sucked to have to find a new roommate.

"Thanks!" Izzy said, sweeping me into a hug.

When Jace got to the apartment a few hours later, I was sobbing silently in my bedroom, trying to make sure that Izzy didn't hear. It wasn't that I _couldn't_ live without Izzy, it's just that I never had. Since elementary school, we'd been attached at the hip. Now she was leaving me (kind of).

"Hey," Jace greeted me, closing my bedroom door behind him. "I come bearing… what's wrong?" He gathered me into his arms and I started crying into his shoulder. I'd never felt more like a girl in my life and it definitely wasn't my finest moment, but Jace didn't seem to mind that I got his shirt all gross with tears.

When my tears finally quieted, Jace asked me what was wrong. "Izzy's moving out. She's leaving me here all alone."

"She told me; I didn't think you'd be this upset," he said, running his hands through my messy curls. "And you're _not_ alone. You have me."

I smiled up at him, wiping my eyes. Jace was so sincere and sweet that suddenly I felt a burst of love for him. "What, do you want to move in with me?" I asked teasingly.

His eyes widened slightly. "Actually, I was hoping _you'd_ be interested in moving in with _me_ …" He cupped his neck nervously, his gaze flicking from me to the ceiling. _Holy shit, he's serious_ , I thought. For a moment, I sat there frozen. Jace seemed equally as shocked with his statement, to be honest. We just sat there staring at each other for a minute. Until he started talking again.

"It's just that… Alec wants to move in with Magnus, finally. And with Izzy moving in with Simon, it just makes sense. We spend most nights together anyway, so why not make it official? I mean, we don't have to do it as boyfriend and girlfriend – we could just be roommates; the apartment does have two bedrooms after all. Then neither of us would have to live with strangers and we could still save the money in rent. And I figured that my apartment is closer to both of our jobs and in a better building, so staying there is probably best. You don't, I mean I don't expect you to… I…"

I cut Jace off with a searing kiss. "Never in my entire life have I ever considered moving in with a boyfriend. Ever." Seeing his face fall, I realized that he was probably taking that negatively. Placing my hands on my cheeks, I forced him to look at me. " _But_ , I want that with you." His wide smile made me warm all over.

We talked all night while I finished packing. He told me more about his sister and I told him stories about growing up in my family. And then he told me something shocking: according to mutual friends, Aline was applying to law schools. She was going to Harvard Law in the fall. That _bitch_ wanted to be a lawyer after ending a young girl's life and forever changing the life of the person she was supposed to love. If I thought I could never hate her more than I did, I was wrong.

As I tried to sleep that night, wrapped in Jace's arms, I couldn't get Jace's sister and Aline out of my head. I realized that Jace was trying to be a better person than Aline, and he was. But I wasn't. That's why I made the call first thing the next morning, about ten minutes before Jace's alarm was going to go off. I'd deal with the repercussions later… at least I could sleep at night knowing that Aline would get hers, and soon. But I couldn't gather up the courage to tell Jace, not yet at least. I knew he wouldn't be happy, even if I was doing the right thing.

I pushed the whole thing out of my mind as I saw Jace stirring in my bed. He was stunning. I couldn't believe he was mine, that he wanted me. So, naturally, I crawled back into bed and curled into him, my head tucked into the crook of his neck as he awoke. "You were up early," he whispered, his voice still husky from sleep.

"Yeah, I think I'm just excited to see my family, again. And you snore." Jace rolled his eyes, tickling my ribcage. I broke into giggles and kissed his nose, surprisingly at peace that I did the right thing. I'd deal with Jace later. I couldn't stop smiling as we readied to go the airport, and sighed contentedly when Jace pulled me close to him on the airplane and kissed my forehead as I fell asleep.

Seeing my mom and dad again was _much_ less stressful when I wasn't faking a relationship. I mean, my mom kept giving me this weird look, but I figured she was just happy to see me. And it was nice, sitting around the table with my parents and Jace and just being normal.

When my dad asked Jace to play a round of golf at the club before we got ready for the wedding shower, I didn't feel panic. Instead, I was kind of excited… especially when I saw how giddy Jace was that my dad didn't hate him.

But then I was alone with my mom, who was still giving me a shiver-inducing stare. "What's wrong?" I asked her as we munched on muffins and flicked through TV channels.

"So, you and Jace are really dating now?" I nearly spit out my coffee. _She knew_. I had no clue how she knew, but she did.

"W-what are you talking about?"

"You and Jace. You didn't think I knew? Your father and I both did, Clary. We aren't oblivious. We know you far better than you think. But when you got here yesterday, I noticed something was different. You're in love with that boy. So, what happened?"

I could feel my cheeks heating up, embarrassment creeping in. My parents knew I'd been faking it and they didn't say anything. "You knew this whole time… why didn't you say anything?"

My mom sighed. "We knew you'd tell us in your own time. And to be honest, I know I've been a pain in the butt about your love life. You had to have been desperate to lie to everyone. So I'm sorry. _Now,_ " she started, angling her body towards me on the sofa, "tell me how it changed."

"I don't know what happened… we were friends and then, well, he won me over." I couldn't stop the smile on my face as I told my mom the story of Jace and I.

Later that night, Jace and I got dressed and headed to a local restaurant for Jon and Camille's wedding shower. My parents had gone ahead of us, so we had a few blissful minutes alone. Jace's right hand held onto my left one, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on my skin as he drove. "So, your dad totally knew. And he gave me the talk today," Jace said casually.

"Oh my god, was it awful? He didn't show you his gun, did he?"

Jace turned to look at me for a second and gulped. "He… he has a gun?" I laughed.

"Yeah, but don't worry. He hasn't threatened to use it since my first boyfriend."

"He was… tough, but fair. And why don't you seem surprised that your dad knew about us?" he asked.

"My mom knew too, she confronted me about it this morning. But they're just happy I'm happy, so it's okay now, I guess. I doubt Jon knew, since he's kind of oblivious."

When we pulled up to the restaurant, Jace got out and opened my door for me before handing the keys to the valet. "You look beautiful," he whispered into my ear as we made our way inside. I _refuse_ to admit that my insides may have melted when he warm breath washed over my face. Not to mention the redness that flooded my cheeks. Damn him to hell.

It was a great night. Jace and I danced the night away, laughing and stealing kisses. He didn't leave my side until the end of the night when I danced with Jon and Jace took a break, going to get something to drink. I couldn't help that my eyes followed him as he went.

And as Jon was twirling me around, I saw Aline make her way to Jace. He paled as she spoke quickly. I couldn't see her face, but my anxiety was rising the longer she stood there with my boyfriend. And then, after a couple of minutes, Jace turned and his eyes met mine. The kind, soft eyes I'd grown to love weren't looking at me. In their place was hardness, an anger that I'd never seen. He left Aline and walked out of the restaurant. I excused myself from Jon and immediately followed Jace.

"Jace!" I called, trying to keep up with his long strides. He stopped and turned towards me. I nearly ran into him, he stopped so suddenly.

"Were you going to tell me, Clary?" he said angrily.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Aline… you know, Harvard withdrew her acceptance this morning."

"Oh, that…"

"Yeah, _that_. What were you fucking thinking?"

"My, uh, my uncle is a dean there. I just… I just thought they would want to know about her since I doubt she told them on her application. So I called him. I – she didn't deserve to become a lawyer, Jace."

"So you just ruined her future, without even telling me? After I told you how I was working to be better than her? How I was moving on?"

"I… I'm sorry," I whispered, traitorous tears welling my eyes.

"I can't believe I trusted you. I thought I loved you. And you didn't even care enough about me to think about what I would want. Cecily was _my_ sister. I was being the bigger person, using my tragedy for change. I was being the person Cecily would be proud of. And then you ruined it. We're through."

And then he walked away, leaving me behind.


	11. Chapter 11

**I know that there were some strong reactions to the last chapter, and it was intended to do that. And the irony is that this is the second to last chapter, only one left after this. So here we go… as always, I own nothing but the plot, as usual. The last chapter is kind of a bonus, the plot wraps up in this super sappy, fluffy chapter. Oh, and the last chapter is done. If you all make me** ** _very_** **happy and review, I may even post it in the next couple of days! Enjoy!**

 **One note: Aline is a complete bitch in this story. There is no redemption for her. Don't take it personally; I like her as a character in TMI. But she's the bad guy here. Sorry, not sorry.**

Day one after Jace left me standing there was marked by sadness. The bastard had gotten under my skin, and once he left, there was a Jace shaped hole. I refused to talk to anyone about what happened and caught the first flight home the next morning. When Izzy got home later that afternoon, I was gathering all of Jace's things and crying.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened or are you going to cry all day?" she asked me, leaning against the frame of my bedroom door.

"Fuck it, Iz. I tried so fucking hard, and I failed. He's gone…"

After I explained what happened in Florida, Izzy sighed and sat down next to me on my bed. "Dammit, you are _Clarissa Morgenstern_. Since when do you let any guy make you feel like shit? And you didn't do anything wrong, by the way, Jace is being an idiot. I mean seriously, who the fuck would want _Aline_ as a fucking lawyer? I'd be terrified for her to represent me in anything. You need to put on your big girl panties and grow the fuck up. Stand by your decision."

Izzy's righteous indignation started day two with anger. Who the fuck did Jace think he was? I did the right thing. His sister deserved some sort of justice. He was just too scared to do it himself. And Aline most definitely didn't deserve to ever be in a position of power. Jace should be _thanking me_. So if he wanted to be a fucking baby, I'd let him. I didn't need him anyway. Asshole.

I decided to forget about Jace. So I threw myself into work and helped Izzy pack and move into Simon's apartment.

And that's how I found myself at work, alone, in the middle of the night the a couple of weeks after Izzy moved out. It was too quiet at home, too lonely. So I spent as little time there as possible.

I didn't regret it, not at all. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Okay, so I would've changed one thing – I would have told Jace sooner. Before Aline could. Waiting _may_ have been a dumb idea. But other than that, I was right about the situation. Aline had committed a terrible crime, something that should have landed her in prison, not law school.

So what if I missed Jace? I was _not_ about to apologize. I did the right thing. He totally overreacted for some reason. I was sure of it. And if five weeks wasn't enough time to see the error of his ways, I didn't know what to say. As much as every lonely night on the couch in front of the TV with a pint of ice cream broke my heart, the fact that Jace could discard me without so much as a second glance made me feel even worse. But being me, that hurt became anger. I was so angry that I considered blowing up a picture of Jace's face for a dart board.

That's what I was mulling over, while dusting old books, when Jace walked through the door. And the fragile copy of _Oliver Twist_ landed right on the floor at my feet, my mouth hanging open in shock. It made me feel a teeny, tiny, miniscule bit better that Jace looked like shit. He had bags under his eyes and his normally artfully messy hair was all over the place. He even looked a couple of shades paler than usual. He had some stubble along his jaw line and he was wearing sweats. It was _unusual_ , to say the least. And my anger all but melted away. Damn traitorous heart and _fucking feelings_.

"What are you doing here?" He flashed me a pained smiled and held out his hand, which had a hot pink key to the store.

"Izzy gave me her key. Did you know her and her brother are real jerks when they want you to do something? I've never been yelled at so much in my life, and you've met my parents, so that's saying a lot."

I snorted. "Yeah, I've had occasion to deal with that _particular_ Lightwood trait. But that doesn't explain why you're here."

He ran his fingers through his golden hair in that way that made me get butterflies. Why the fuck did he have to be so good looking? "I, well, I missed you."

"I wasn't wrong. I'm not apologizing just because you missed me. You're the asshole here, not me."

"I know. I'm not asking for an apology. In fact, I should be apologizing to you." Instead of responding, I sat down on the oversized sofa with a sigh. He sat next to me but didn't say anything. The silence was oddly comforting, probably because we were breathing the same air again.

"So… are you gonna apologize or what?" I finally asked as the silence enveloped me.

"I'm so sorry, Clary. I freaked out without a reason. You were right – I was scared. Scared of really, finally facing what Aline did. My parents raised me to be the king of denying and ignoring my problems. I was raised to think that _nothing_ is bad enough to cause a scene about. And I thought I was getting over Cecily, but really I was ignoring that it happened in so many ways. That night, at Jon's party, it all just came to a head. I was so ashamed that you stood up for Cecily more than I ever had. Yeah, I became an advocate and changed the law, but I never _confronted_ Aline. I never did anything to teach her that she was a bitch that ruined my life. And I was upset that you were strong enough to do that and I wasn't. I've never been good at acknowledging my faults – not that I have many," he said with a wink.

I groaned, but it didn't discourage him from continuing.

"I've always been the perfect one; I've never needed to have a real look inside of myself. And fuck, Clary, it was terrible. For a week, I didn't get out of bed. Finally, I visited Cecily's grave and talked to her. I apologized for being a coward. Then, I did some digging into Aline, something I hadn't done before. It turns out that Cecily wasn't the only person that Aline targeted. After college, Aline spent some time in Vermont. She started sleeping with a friend's husband and taunting the friend. Friend found out and Aline targeted her. But this was worse – she pushed the woman in front of a moving car, Clary. She fucking tried to kill someone. _And I let her walk consequence free_.

"I felt so guilty. I could have prevented it, if I had only pushed the police or the school into bringing charges. I was a coward, to scared to upset my parents or disturb the parts of my life that were still okay, and another woman ended up being personally injured. So I called the woman and we met. She had to have her leg amputated at the knee. I found out that the prosecutor's office in Vermont decided to press charges and they were trying to hunt Aline down. I also found the woman the best civil attorney I could and I'm footing the bill for a lawsuit for all of her lifetime medical expenses. God knows Aline's enabling parents can afford it even if Aline can't.

"Aline was arrested, Clary. Last week. And I feel… free. There was this hold that I didn't even know about, not until you showed me something I didn't want to see about myself. You showed me that I was a coward. I love you so much, but I still let me fear get in the way. And then Izzy came by today, as I was staring blindly at the TV. And she yelled at me. A lot. Until I realized I was a complete and total bastard."

He looked so ashamed of himself; I couldn't help but scoot a bit closer and put my hand on his shoulder. "It's not all your fault Jace. Maybe I shouldn't have done what I did, at least not without consulting you. But you freaked out and… I mean, are you going to freak out like that every time I make you face something you don't like about yourself?" When he looked like he was going to protest (probably to tell me there was nothing else that he didn't like about himself), I put my hand up to silence him. "Because it fucking hurt Jace. I did something because I loved you, and you threw it in my face like I was the bad guy…"

Jace broke into a grin. "What?" I asked.

"You love me. I mean, not that I doubted it but still, I figured it would take way longer to get you to admit it out loud."

"Fuck you." The blush on my cheeks couldn't be stopped. Jace laughed and pulled me into a hug.

"I promise, Clary, that I learned my lesson. You're a rock star and I should just let you do your thing and smile."

"Damn straight," I said, nuzzling into Jace's neck and wrapping my arms around him. God, I missed him so fucking much. I wasn't even scared that I'd admitted that I loved him. Because I did. I did love him. And the past five weeks had done nothing but show me how much his absence left a Jace-shaped hole in my heart.

A week later I moved into Jace's apartment. I moved my belongings into Alec's old room, but I was living with my boyfriend. It was strange, falling asleep every night in his arms and waking up wrapped around him. It was odd how _easy_ domesticity came to me. I'd always prided myself on being independent and never relying on anyone but me. But I let Jace make me coffee and cook sometimes and take care of me when I was sick.

Jace started working at the District Attorney's office only a month after we'd been living together. Immediately, I noticed a pep in his step. One night, when Alec, Magnus, Simon and Izzy were over for dinner, he said he had an announcement. For a second, I stopped breathing, thinking that he was going to propose. I would have fucking murdered him. Way too soon for that. But no, instead, he was telling us that his boss was letting him start a stalking and harassment unit. They would be handling cases like Cecily's every day – getting justice for others like her. I'd never seen Jace look so carefree as when he pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. It was like he finally figured out the secret of life. And I was thrilled to be there with him.

Until his first trial. He started having nightmares the week before. Seeing Cecily die in front of him every night left him gasping for air. I would try to comfort him, but it was impossible. The dark circles under his eyes and the way he couldn't even handle kissing me goodnight without squeezing me a little bit closer and sighing showed me it wasn't okay – he wasn't okay. But after he won that first miserable case, his happiness came back tenfold. It was miraculous to watch him as he prepped for a case, his eyes glowing with light and excitement.

We stayed up let, cuddled in bed watching Netflix and laughing at nonsense. We'd take day trips and even went to Ikea to buy some new furniture (if putting that together didn't end our relationship, I'm convinced we'll last forever). We even got a kitten (named Dot, she's kind of awesome). It was a new life, a life I'd never wanted. It was everything I'd despised that day I answered my mom's phone call. But now that I was living it, it was a dream come true.

"I love you," he'd whisper every night as we drifted to sleep, his arms around my body.

"I love you, too," I'd respond, never once forgetting that Jace changed everything.


	12. Chapter 12

**We've reached the end of Fake It Til You Make It. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did. If there is enough demand, I may write an epilogue to tie up loose ends. Please enjoy my smutty final chapter** **J**

When we found ourselves at my brother's wedding, Jace and I were in complete bliss. If I wasn't so in love, I would have been disgusted by us. All through the service, I had to stop myself from staring at Jace, who was sitting behind my parents in the pews as I stood near Camille. With Aline's arrest, Izzy took her place, which thankfully meant that I had someone to kick me in the shin – discretely, of course, to ensure that Jace didn't take _all_ of my attention.

Jace was giving me that heated look again by the time dinner was over. The one that got me all hot and bothered and ensured that my panties would be uncomfortably wet for the rest of the evening. He was sitting next to me, pretending to listen to Alec's speech, but not taking his eyes off of me. Then his hand, which had been hanging at his side between us, moved over my thigh, gently skimming my sensitive skin, only the thin layer of satin of my dress separating us. The feel of his skin on mine was something I'd wanted, no craved, for the 24 hours we'd been staying with my parents. I was all for sex in my high school bedroom, but for some _ridiculous_ reason Jace thought that was a bad idea. And I was going crazy. Especially considering Jace looks like a rock star in a tux.

As his hand moved up my thigh, towards the apex of my legs, I sighed quietly, ensuring that only he could hear me. His fingers made their way under my dress and glided softly over my panty-clad core, barely even touching it. He started rubbing in soft, small circles. It was driving me wild. When Alec's speech was over, and before anything else could happen, I rushed out of the dance hall, needing to cool down (away from the walking sexual tension that is Jace Herondale). I found my way into a coat closet that was empty. I mean, who the hell needs a coat closet in Florida? I flicked the light on and sat on top of a short stack of chairs in the corner of the room, which looked like it was currently being used only for storage.

Within a minute, the closet's door opened and closed and in walked Jace, in all of his glory. His eyes were burning with a lust I'd never seen before as he stomped over to me. He stopped about an inch away from me.

"I'm sick of these games, Clarissa," he hissed.

"What games, _Jonathan_? I haven't played any games…" I whispered. He moved impossibly closer to me.

"You… looking so completely fuckable in public. How am I supposed to behave when I just want to take you on the table and make you scream and moan in pleasure below me?" His arms wrapped around my waist as he stood between my legs. "And then… and then you expect me to just let you go when I have you so close to the brink of pleasure. Unacceptable." Once again, his right hand made its way up my thigh, sliding under my dress and running along the waistband of my panties.

"Stop talking," I mumbled before leaning forward and meeting his lips in a searing kiss. God, his lips are amazing, I couldn't help but nibble on them. And then his tongue was massaging mine, wrestling for dominance. His left hand left my waist and traveled to my chest. He unceremoniously pulled down my strapless dress and bra, exposing my nipple. It immediately hardened as he ran his long, nimble fingers over it before taking it in hand to pinch and twist it. My back arched at the feeling, pushing my chest into him further. His lips left mine and traveled down my neck, resting on the juncture between my neck and shoulder. I reached behind me, unzipping my dress forcefully. The damn thing needed to be off… NOW.

Jace didn't seem to notice the torture. He took his time, kissing along my clavicle and licking the juncture between my shoulder and neck, before moving lower. He sucked the swell of my breasts into his mouth, never breaking eye contact with me. I hissed at the feeling. Slowly, painfully slowly, he slid the dress down my body, I lifted up and it slid down my legs until it fell unceremoniously to the floor. I didn't even care, I was too far gone.

I leaned back in the chair, my breath hitching when his tongue surrounded a pebbled nipple. The whole thing was erotic. We were at my brother's wedding and Jace was going to fuck me in a storage closet. So fucking hot. He moved to my other nipple, a hand coming up to gently, oh so lightly, glide across the nipple his mouth had abandoned. The heat spread through me like wildfire. I could feel my clit throbbing harder and harder. I unbuttoned his shirt, savoring the clamp of his mouth around my nipple as I ran my hand along his chest. We separated just long enough for me to slide his shirt off and him to remove my bra before our lips met in a bruising kiss.

My hands went to his waistband, playing with it as he quickly undid his belt and tossed it away. The smoothness of his skin greeted me as I unbuttoned his pants, running my hands along the seam of his boxer briefs. His pants fell to the ground as a groan ripped from his mouth.

He moved closer to me, grinding against my core with only my thong and his boxers separating us. I could feel the hard ridge of his length running along my heated skin. My panties were soaked through and I didn't know how much longer I could survive the torture.

Then, he kneeled down in front of me. He kissed my breasts, my ribs, and my stomach as he made his way to the ground. His kisses found their way to the waistband of my panties and he wrapped his mouth around them. Before I knew what was happening, his teeth were dragging them down my legs. I watched in a haze as he slid them off of my legs until all I was left in was my heels.

Jace kissed and licked his way back up my leg, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind him. Finally, he reached the apex of my thighs – and then bypassed it and kissed and licked his way down my other leg.

"Jaceee," I whined, unashamed.

"What do you want Clary?" he asked me in a husky, deep voice that sent jolts of arousal through my body.

"Fuck me – please." He smiled and kissed my knee before finally, finally, going where I wanted him most. His tongue skimmed my lower lips, just hard enough for me to feel the sensation. My swollen clit continued to pulse when he finally wrapped his tongue around it, playing with it gently. I thought I was going to pass out. I'd never been so turned on in my life. After months of teasing, months of back and forth, it was finally happening.

"You're so wet," he nearly growled as he slid one finger inside of me, rubbing my walls perfectly. I couldn't restrain the moan that escaped my mouth. I guess he figured he was doing something right, since he slid in another finger, and then another, before sucking my clit into his mouth. His fingers quickly found the soft tissue inside of me that had me bucking against his hand. The dual stimulation of my g-spot and my clit had me reaching the stars in moments. I howled Jace's name as my body tensed and I tightened around his fingers, arousal flooding his face.

And when I finally fell back to Earth and he pulled away, with a shit eating grin on his face and my cum rimming his lips, I thought I was going to self-combust. I dragged him to me, pulling him in for a kiss. I never liked to taste myself on a man, but it was erotic with Jace, the taste of my cum and his saliva mixing together into a sweet and salty taste I couldn't get enough of. My hands went to his waist and pushed his boxers down. He quickly shook them off, his lips never separating from mine.

I took his silky erection in my hand, reveling in how hard he was for me. Just for me. I did that to him. I stroked him slowly as his lips moved to my neck once again.

"I need to be inside you, Clary," he moaned as I squeezed him.

"Then what are you waiting for?" I questioned, surprising myself by my breathless tone. My arousal was literally seeping out from inside me. I'd never been so turned on in my life. Slowly, I guided him towards me. I felt his cock slide across my wet lips a couple of times before circling my clit. I moaned loudly as my already sensitive clit was teased.

With that, he took himself in hand and I guided him inside of me. The stretch and burn was so welcome as I adjusted to his impressive size.

"Fuck, Clarissa. You're so fucking tight and wet. Feel so good around me…" His muscles were tense under my hands. I could tell he was struggling not to move, giving me time to adjust. How sweet. I slid forward on the chair, slightly changing the angle as I wrapped my legs around his hips and rested them on his ass. He started moving, gliding in and out with a slow, torturous pace.

"Harder Jace. Take me!" I begged him. It felt so good. He moved my legs so that my feet were resting on his shoulders. I gasped at the change of angle. Suddenly, that spot inside of me that always made me squirm and pant was being rubbed with his cock every time he thrust into me. "So good, _so fucking good. Don't stop_ , _please don't stop!_ " I was shouting and I didn't care.

One of his hands was behind my back, supporting me. The other played with my nipples, alternating between them, squeezing and pinching in time with his thrusts. His mouth met mine again, all of the heat spreading between us almost too much to bear.

"Fuck," he mumbled as he pulled away from my mouth, pushing into me even harder. "Come, Clary." One hand snaked between us and circled my bundle of nerves roughly. I felt him losing control, knew he was getting close. His mouth came down to my nipple and he sucked it roughly into his mouth. I felt the pressure building and building. Every time I thought I would finally burst, it just kept building, until I didn't think I could take anymore. Jace just kept going, erratically thrusting his cock in and out of me while rubbing my clit and stimulating my nipples.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I burst. Everything went dark as I screamed bloody murder, my body shaking. My pussy tightened around Jace and, as I finally came back to reality, I felt him rutting into me, grunting as he spilled himself inside of me. "Fuccckkkkk," he hissed, nails digging into my back as he gripped me tightly.

I felt myself tightening again, the sound of him coming, the pulse of his cock, and the feel of warmth inside of me too much to bear. He held me close as I came for the third time that night. I'd never done that before. The aftershocks continued as he rubbed my clit gently, encouraging my high to keep going.

"I love you," I mumbled, not wanting to separate from Jace, even once his hand stopped moving along my center.

"I love you, too. Thanks for fake dating me," he said.

"Fuck you," I growled as I finally dragged my body off of his and began gathering my clothes and redressing.

He didn't respond immediately, but as he was buttoning up his shirt he came close to me and whispered in my ear. "You just did." And with a laugh, he was gone from the coat room.

Sometimes he made me want to murder him. He's lucky I loved him. Bastard.

 ** _And that's all, folks. Hope you enjoyed. This has been one of my fave stories I've written. Be on the look out for my next Clace multi-chapter fic, already in development. Don't forget to review if you want an epilogue!_**

 ** _Until next time…_**


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